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          New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Prominent highlights of the budget   for 2012-13 presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha   Friday |  * Income tax exemption limit raised to Rs.2 lakh to provide relief of relief of   Rs.2,000 for all assessees; 20 percent tax on income over Rs.10 lakh, up from   Rs.8 lakh.
 * Deduction of up to Rs.10,000 from interest from savings bank   accounts.
 
 * Defence to get Rs.1.93 lakh crore during 2012-13.
 
 *   Service tax rate raised from 10 percent to 12 percent to bring in Rs.18,660   crore.
 
 * Number of proactive steps taken on black money (stashed away   abroad); information has started flowing in, prosecution to be initiated; White   Paper in current session.
 
 * No change in corporate taxes but measures to   enable them better access funds.
 
 * Withholding tax on external commercial   borrowings reduced from 20 percent to five percent for power, airlines, roads,   bridges, affordable houses and fertiliser sectors.
 
 * National Skill   Development Fund allocated Rs.1,000 crore.
 
 * Four thousand residential   quarters to be constructed for paramilitary forces with an allocation of   Rs.1,185 crore.
 
 * National Population Register to be completed in two   years.
 
 * Excise duty raised from 10 to 12 percent.
 
 * Cinema   industry exempted from service tax.
 
 * Branded silver jewellery fully   exempt from excise duty.
 
 * Customs duty on warning systems/track upgrade   equipment for railways reduced from 10 percent to 7.5 percent.
 
 * Import   duty on equipment for iron ore mining reduced from 7.5 to 2.5 percent.
 
 *   Allocation of Rs.200 crore for research on climate change.
 
 * Irrigation   and water resource company to be operationalised.
 
 * National mission on   food processing to be started in cooperation with state governments.
 
 *   Integrated Child Development Scheme to be strengthened and restructured with   allocation of Rs.15,850 crore.
 
 * Allocation of Rs.14,000 crore for rural   water supply and sanitation.
 
 * Infusion of Rs.15,888 crore in public   sector banks, regional rural banks and NABARD in 2012-13.
 
 *   Infrastructure will require Rs.50 lakh crore in 12th Plan, half of this from the   private sector.
 
 * Completion of highway projects 44 percent higher than   in previous fiscal.
 
 * External commercial borrowing of up to $1 billion   permitted for airline sector.
 
 * External commercial borrowings permitted   to low-cost housing sector.
 
 * From 2012-13, full subsidies for providing   food security; in other sectors to the extent the economy can bear   this.
 
 * Hope to raise Rs.30,000 crore from disinvestments.
 
 * New   equity savings scheme to provide for income tax deduction of 50 percent for   those who invest Rs.50,000 in equity and whose annual income is less than Rs.10   lakh.
 
 * Corporate market reforms to be initiated.
 
 * Bills on   micro-finance institutions, national land bank and public debt management among   those to be introduced in 2012-13.
 
 * Addressing malnutrition, black money   and corruption in public life among five priorities in year ahead.
 
 *   India's inflation structural, driven largely by agricultural   constraints.
 
 * Current account deficit 3.6 percent in 2011-12; this put   pressure on exchange rate.
 
 * Growth in 2012-13 estimated at 7.6 percent;   expect inflation to be lower.
 
 * Better monitoring of expenditure on   government schemes.
 
 * Fiscal 2011-12 year of recovery interrupted;   reality turned out to be different.
 
 * GDP growth in 2011-12 estimated at   6.9 percent; had to battle double digit inflation for two years.
 
 * Good   news: agriculture and services continued to perform well; economy is now turning   around; recovery in core sectors.
 
 * Now at juncture where it is necessary   to take hard decisions; have to accelerate pace of reforms.
 
 
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