Highlights of General Budget 2008-08

New Delhi, Feb 29 : Following are the key points of Union Budget 2008-09 tabled by P Chidambaram

Revenue Deficit will be 1.4 per cent Budget Estimate of 1.5 per cent

Planning Commission to evaluate major schemes

Sixth central pay commission to submit report by March

Rs 50 cr grant for Natl Tiger Conservation Authority

Rs 75 cr to ICCR for cultural development

Defence allocation hiked by 10% to Rs 1,05,600 cr

Rs 32,676 crore as subsidy to Public Distribution System (PDS)

Smart-card based PDS system in Haryana, Chandigarh

Allocation of Rs 44 cr to 22 Sainik schools each

Rs 75 cr to Agri Ministry for soil testing labs in 250 districts

Rs 15,000 cr for non-profit body for skilled dev programme

Launch a world-class skilled development programme

Permanent Account Number (PAN) requirement for all securities transactions

Plan to start a forex derivative market

More transparency in the derivative market

Risk Capital Fund to be set up in Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

National Highway Dev programme gets Rs 12,966 cr

Accelerated power development programmes to get Rs 8,000 cr

Ultra mega power project at Tilana shortly

Rs 12,956 Cr for National Highways Development Project (NHDP)

Banks to be encouraged to embrace total financial inclusion

Foreign investment up to 8 billion dollars expected for oil block exploration

Coal regulator to be set up

17 lakh families of weavers under Health Insurance

State data centres scheme approved and get Rs 275 cr

1 lakh broadband-enabled common service centres in villages

Enhance allocation of NHDP programme

Rs 800 cr for power reforms

Manufacturing growth rate to be taken to double digit

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) corpus to be hiked to Rs 14,000 cr

Total estimate of loans being waived is Rs 50,000 cr

Implementation of debt waiver scheme to end by June 30

Implementation of debt waiver scheme to end by June 30

Waiver amounts to 4 per cent of total bank loans

Rescheduled farm loans eligible for waiver

Marginal, small farmers to get full waiver on all loans

500 soil testing labs to be set up in the country

Scheme of debt waiver and debt relief for farmers

Allocation for National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) increased to Rs 12,050 cr

National Horticulture Mission gets Rs 1,100 cr

Weather-based crop insurance scheme to get Rs 50 cr

Rs 20,000 cr for irrigation projects under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP)

Special grant of Rs 20 cr to Tea Research Association

Rs 500 cr to be allocated for micro irrigation schemes

More funds for cardamom, coffee growing

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to get Rs 2,80,000 cr

53 minor irrigation programmes to be implemented

Target of Rs 2.80 lakh cr for agri-credit in 2008-09

Ministry of Woman and Child Development gets Rs 7,200 cr

24% increase in allocation for child development

Rs 500 cr for development of border areas

Rs 1,042 cr for anti-Polio drive

Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission to get Rs 6,865cr

Growth of agri-credit impressive

Allocation for Integrated Child Development Services increased to Rs 6,300 cr

Minority Affairs Ministry fund doubled to Rs 1,000 cr

288 Public Sector Banks (PSU) bank branches in minority districts

Rs 540 cr for development plan for minority districts

Rs 500 cr for corpus fund to subsidize all women

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to cover all women Self-help Groups linked to banks

Rs 12,050 cr for strengthening rural health services

Sanitation programmes to get Rs 1200 cr

More minority recruitments in central para-military forces

PSU allocation hiked to Rs 6,300 cr

Rs 300 cr for desalination plant near Chennai

Rs 75 cr for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Programme

National Handicap Development Corp to get Rs 9 cr

National Minorities Development Corp to get Rs 75 cr

Rs 75 cr for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Programme

National Handicap Development Corp to get Rs 9 cr

National Minorities Development Corp to get Rs 75 cr

Allocation for NE schemes up from 14,365 cr to 16,400 cr

Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water mission allocation hiked

The National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme to be rolled out in 596 districts

National Rural Health Mission allocation hiked by 15%

Remuneration of Anganwadi helpers hiked to Rs 750

Remuneration of Anganwadi workers hiked to Rs 1,500

National Programme for the Elderly to be set up

Rs 30,000 health cover for every worker in unorganised sector

2 schools of Planning and Architecture

Secondary education Scheme Rs 4,554 crore

Rs 100 cr to Ministry of Science and tech for National Knowledge Network All knowledge bodies to be connected via broadband

Rs 85 crore to building a knowledge society

Scholarships for science and research

Education and Health allocation up 20 per cent Service Sector to grow at 10.7 per cent

3 IITs in AP, Bihar and Rajasthan

16 central universities to be set up

Mid-day meal scheme extended to upper primary classes

Budgetary allocation for mid-day meal scheme Rs 8,000

16 central universities to set up

Mid-day meal scheme extended to upper primary classes

Budgetary allocation for mid-day meal scheme Rs 8,000 Rs 10 cr for Nehru Kendras in 110 districts Rs 34,400 cr budgetary allocation for education

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan gets Rs 13,100 cr

Bharat Nirman Programme gets allocation of Rs 31,280 cr

410 Vidyalayas in villages Education, health pillars of social sector reforms 2008-09 will be a year of consolidation Budget 08-09 about raising our sights, doing better

Capital inflows in excess of economic deficit

Confident of maintaining 8 per cent growth

Impact of global markets on local markets unclear

Govt, Reserve Bank of India to jointly work to check capital inflow

Govt will monitor foreign fund inflow

Impact of global markets on local markets unclear Govt, RBI to jointly work to check capital inflow

Govt will monitor foreign fund inflow

Check foreign inflow to stabilise Indian markets

Capital Inflow needs to be managed more actively

Agriculture credit doubled in first 2 years of UPA rule

Global markets are weak

Inflation will be checked

Sustained progress thanks to economic reforms

Launched Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna

All time record for food grain output in 2007

Total output of food grains 219.32 mn tonnes

We must be vigilant for downside risk

Crude oil down significantly

Agriculture was disappointing

Capital inflow poses a challenge to monetary management

Capital inflow poses a challenge to monetary management

Growth rate is 8.8 per cent

Service sector is the driver of Budget

Since Aug 2007 financial economies witnessed turmoil

2007-08 has been a challenging year

ANI