The government will launch a housing scheme for deserving middle class to buy or build their own houses, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday.
The minister stated that the country is close to achieving the target of three crore houses under the rural housing scheme and two crore more will be constructed in the next five years.
In her pre-election Budget, the Sitharaman said the government will also adopt an economic approach that facilitates sustainable development and improves productivity.
The finance minister said the government will set up more medical colleges, utilising existing hospital infrastructure.
The minister also spoke about rooftop solarisation to ensure one crore household free electricity of up to 300 units per month, leading to household savings of Rs 15,000-18,000 annually.
The FM announced plans to increase milk and dairy production in the country. India is the largest milk producer in the world but there is low productivity, the finance minister said.
India's milk production rose 4 per cent to 230.58 million tonnes in 2022-23.
She also said a strategy will be developed for Atma Nirbharta for oilseeds production.
The minister further announced the extension of healthcare cover under Ayushman Bharat to all ASHA and anganwadi workers.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the largest publicly funded health insurance scheme in the world that provides coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
