Budget 2022: FM Nirmala Sitharaman hails India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, says it has ‘helped greatly’

(Credits: ANI)

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday (February 1, 2022), while presenting the Union Budget in the parliament, said during the Omicron wave, the speed of India’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has “helped greatly”.

“We are in the midst of the Omicron wave, the speed of our vaccination campaign has helped greatly. I am confident that ‘Sabka Prayaas’, we'll continue with strong growth,” said Nirmala Sitharaman. 

We are in the midst of the Omicron wave, the speed of our vaccination campaign has helped greatly. I am confident that ‘Sabka Prayaas’, we'll continue with strong growth: FM Sitharaman#Budget2022 pic.twitter.com/iWR95SnQWJ — ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2022

The Union Cabinet approved the Budget, following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among others.

FM Sitharaman also called on President Ram Nath Kovind today before presenting the Union Budget 2022-23. As per established tradition, the Finance Minister met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan before heading to Parliament.

"Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance along with Ministers of State for Finance, Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, called on President Ram Nath Kovind before presenting the Union Budget 2022-23," Rashtrapati Bhawan tweeted.

Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance along with Ministers of State for Finance, Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, called on President Ram Nath Kovind before presenting the Union Budget 2022-23. pic.twitter.com/5xc3sfwyWr — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 1, 2022

Dressed in a brown silk saree with a white border, Sitharaman continued with the tradition she set in 2019, carrying the budget speech in a bahi-khata, which she used for ditching the briefcase. This kept a digital tablet in a red bahi khata style pouch.

On the first day of the budget session of Parliament, Sitharaman on Monday tabled the pre-budget Economic Survey for 2021-22, which projected an 8-8.5 per cent growth for the economy in the coming financial year. The economy is projected to expand by 9.2 per cent in the current fiscal year as against a contraction of 6.6 per cent in the previous fiscal ending March 31, 2021.

(With agency inputs)