Government appeals to rural India in last budget before election

• Sarwar Alam
• 04 February, 2018

Follow Us

By: Sarwar Alam

India’s government promised hundreds of billions of dollars to develop poor rural areas and help struggling farmers in its annual budget Thursday, looking to win over voters ahead of the next general election. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government would spend $220 billion on rural infrastructure, including building new roads and toilets and bringing electricity to millions of rural households. Jaitley also announced a national healthcare scheme that will enable half a billion poor Indians to access up to 500,000 rupees ($7,855) a year for treatment, a key step in a country where many people have little access to…

You do not have access to this content. You need to subscribe.