Budget Highlights-2008

Extend PAN requirement to all securities transactions
Develop bond, derivative market
More transparency in the derivative market
Risk Capital Fund to be set up in SIDBI
National Highway Dev programme gets Rs 12,966 cr
Accelerated power development programmes to get Rs 8000 cr
Ultra mega power project at Tilana shortly
Rs 12,956 Cr for NHDP
Banks to be encouraged to embrace total financial inclusion
Foreign invt up to $8 bn 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 distribution
Manufacturing growth rate to be taken to double digit
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
Rescheduled farm loans eligible for waiver
Waiver amounts to 4% of total bank loans
Din in House over PC's relief plans to farmers
500 soil testing labs to be set up in country
Marginal, small farmers to get complete waiver on all loans
Scheme of debt waiver and debt relief for farmers
Allocation for 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
Special grant of Rs 20 cr to Tea Research Association
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 Dev 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
Minority Affairs Ministry fund doubled to Rs 1,000 cr
288 PSU bank branches in minority districts
Rs 540 cr for development plan for minority districts
LIC to cover all women SEGs
Rs 200 crore for potable water in schools
Rs 12,050 cr for strengthening rural health services
Sanitation programmes to get Rs 1200 cr
More minority recruitments in central para-military forces
ICDS allocation hiked to Rs 6,300 cr
Rs 300 cr for desalination plant near Chennai
Rs 75 cr for Rajiv Gandhi Natl Fellowship Prog
Nat Handicap Development Corp to get Rs 9 cr
Natl Minorities Development Corp to get Rs 75 cr
NE region to get Rs 1, 350 cr for development
2 schools of Planning and Architecture
Secondary education Scheme Rs 4,554 crore
Rs 100 cr to Ministry of Science and tech for Natl 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%
Service Sector to grow at 10.7%
Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water mission allocation hiked
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
3 IIScs in Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram
National Programme for the Elderly to be set up
Rs 30,000 health cover for every worker in unorganised sector
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan gets Rs 13,100 crore
Bharat Nirman Programme gets allocation of Rs 31,280 cr
410 Vidyalayas in villages
Navodiya Vidyalayas in 6,0-00 districts
6,000 model high schools to be set up
Agricultural growth rate at 2.6%
Education, health pillars of social sector reforms
2008-09 will be a year of consolidation
3 IITs in AP, Bihar and Rajasthan
16 central universities
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