New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the interim budget 2019, which is being lauded for touching all sections of the society and including everyone, asserted that it is a merely a "trailer" of what will guide India towards prosperity after the Lok Sabha polls.

In his remarks after the interim budget was presented in Parliament, Modi said it empowers people and referred to a host of budgetary announcements and schemes to drive home his point.

More than 12 crore farmers, three crore middle class families and 30-40 crore workers employed in unorganised sector will benefit from the budget, he said, adding that poverty has been falling at a record rate due to the efforts of his government.

This budget will boost the efforts of 130 crore citizens in realising the goal of a new India, Modi said.

Meanwhile, taking the Modi government’s Digital India ahead, finance minister Piyush Goyal on Friday announced that the country will have one lakh digital villages in the next five years under the Common Service Centres (CSC) scheme.

The government will make one lakh villages into digital villages over the next five years. This will be achieved by expanding the Common Service Centres (CSCs). More than 3 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) employing about 12 lakh people, are digitally delivering several services to the citizens.

Also, in a path-breaking development, individual taxpayers with annual income up to Rs 5 lakh would now get full tax exemption. This limit was earlier Rs 2.5 lakh.

Individuals with gross income up to Rs 6.5 lakh would also not need to pay any tax, if they make investments in the Provident Fund and other prescribed schemes.

The standard tax deduction for salaried persons raised from ₹40,000 to Rs 50,000.
 
With inputs from PTI