Union Budget 2008-09,India Union Budget for 2008-09,Indian Budget 2008-09,Highlights of India Union Budget 2008-09

Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented the Union Budget 2008-09 on 29th February. Get the compact detail of the Union Budget 2008 - 09 including announcement made by the finance minister in tourism sector.

Highlights of the Budget

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased up to 8.8 per cent
For 12 successive years till December 2007 India has registered a growth of over 8 per cent
Gross budgetary support rises to Rs 280 billion about Rs 38,286 crore more than 2007-08
Focus next year to under check the inflation in the country
Growth rate in agriculture in 2007-08 is disappointing 2.6 per cent
Plan Expenditure estimated at Rs.243,386 crore
Fiscal deficit for 2008-09 estimated at Rs.133,287 crore which is 2.5 per cent of GDP
Defence Budget to be increase by 10 per cent from Rs.96,000 crore to Rs.105,600 crore
Non-Plan Expenditure estimated at Rs.507,499 crore
Revenue deficit for 2007-08 to be 1.4 per cent (against a BE of 1.5 per cent) and the fiscal deficit to be 3.1 per cent (against a BE of 3.3 per cent)
Revenue receipts of Central Government for 2008-09 projected at Rs.602, 935 crore and revenue expenditure at Rs.658,119 crore
Revenue deficit for 2008-09 estimated at Rs.55,184 crore, which amounts to 1.0 per cent of GDP
Commonwealth Games 2010 to be provided Rs.624 crore in 2008-09
Five year holiday from income tax being granted to 2, 3 or 4 star hotels established in specified districts having UNESCO-declared 'World Heritage Sites' the hotel should be constructed and start functioning during the period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013
National Highway Development Programme (NHDP to get Rs.12,966 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.10,867 crore in 2007-08
Rs.75 crore grant to Indian Council of Cultural Relations to design and implement a programme to achieve the objective of projecting the 'Soft Power' of India in music, literature, dance, art, cuisine and especially films
One time grant of Rs.50 crore to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to redouble efforts to protect the tiger
Coir Board included in Section 10(29A) and exempted from income tax
Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) being withdrawn with effect from April 1, 2009
Central Sales Tax rate being reduced from 3 per cent to 2 per cent from April 1, 2008
Roadmap for Goods and Service Tax being prepared for introduction of GST from April 1, 2010.
Include a new sub-section (11C) in Section 80-IB to grant a five year tax holiday to hospitals located in any place outside the urban agglomerations especially in tier2 and tier-3 towns; this tax holiday will be open for the period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013
Threshold limit of exemption from personal income tax in the case of all assesses increased from 110,000 to Rs.150,000, in case of a woman assessee, the threshold limit increased from Rs.145,000 to Rs.180,000, for senior citizens, the threshold limit increased from Rs.195,000 to Rs.225,000
No change in the corporate income tax rates
No change in the rate of surcharge
Additional deduction of Rs.15,000 allowed under Section 80D to an individual paying medical insurance premium for his/her parent or parents
In 2007-08 Food grain production estimated at 219.32 million tonnes in 2007-08
In the Eleventh Five Year Plan, National Food Security Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana were launched with outlays of Rs. 4,882 crore and Rs. 25,000 crore respectively under National Policy for farmers
GBS 2008-09 to get Rs.2,43,386 crore, higher by Rs. 38,286 crore of 2007-08.
Central Plan allocation to get Rs.1,79,954 crore, an increase of 16 percent over 2007-08
Health Sector gets Rs. 16,534 an increase of over 15% over 2007-08
Education gets Rs 344 billion, 20% more that previous Rs 286.8 billion
By year 2009, about 6,000 high quality schools to be built across the country
Bharat Nirman Rural infrastructure scheme will go up Rs 31,280 crore from existing Rs 24,603 crore
Rs. 10 crore allocated in 2008-09 to set up Nehru Yuva Kendras in 123 districts, and to cover recurring expenditure in the first year.
Three IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan,16 Central Universities in each of the hitherto uncovered states, two IISERs at Bhopal and Tiruvananthapuram, and two Schools of Planning and Architecture at Bhopal and Vijayawada
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme NREGS to be rolled out with provision of Rs.16,000 crore to all 596 rural districts across the country
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to get Rs. 1,455 crore. Including this amount, total Budget allocation for the region, to increase to Rs.16,447 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.14,365 crore in 2007-08.
Growth of agricultural credit target set at Rs.280,000 crore for 2008-09
During the Eleventh Plan period Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana to be continued with a capital subsidy of Rs.28,000 crore, allocation of Rs.5,500 crore for 2008-09
Funds to Department of Information Technology enhanced to Rs.1,680 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.1,500 crore in 2007-08
Allocations for Schemes for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) being maintained at Rs.450 crore in 2008-09, Provision for Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) to be increased to Rs.1,090 crore in 2008-09 from Rs.911 crore in 2007-08.
Relief given to exporters in three tranches amounting to over Rs.8,000 crore
Subsidy to the export sector, estimated at Rs.8,351 crore for the year 2007-08
Requirement of Permanent Account Number (PAN) extended to all transactions in the financial market subject to suitable threshold exemption limits
Aam Admi Bima Scheme to provide insurance cover to poor families Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Scheme to be implemented with effect from April 1
Permanent institutional mechanism to be established for Climate change, development and coordination role in exploration and implementation of ideas
Sixth Central Pay Commission to submit its report by March 31, 2008
13th Finance Commission to be requested to revisit the roadmap for fiscal adjustment and suggest a suitably revised roadmap
Tax to GDP ratio that was 9.2% in 2003-04, set to rise to 12.5 per cent at the end of 2007-08
Customs duty on Project Imports to reduce from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent
Customs duty to be reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent on certain specified life saving drugs and on the bulk drugs used for the manufacture of such drugs. They are also being exempted from excise duty or countervailing duty
Customs duty on convergence products to be reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent to establish parity between devices used in the information/ communication sector and the entertainment sector
Customs duty to be exempted on rough cubic zirconia and being reduced on polished cubic zirconia from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, in order to encourage value addition and exports by gem and jewellery industry
Customs duty on rough coral being reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent
Customs duty removed on helicopter simulators to facilitate training of helicopter pilots
Excise duty reduced on buses and their chassis from 16 per cent to 12 per cent
Excise duty reduced on small cars from 16 per cent to 12 per cent and on hybrid cars from 24 per cent to the general revised rate of 14 per cent
Excise duty reduced on two wheelers and three wheelers from 16 per cent to12 per cent
Excise duty is to be reduced from 16 per cent to nil on a few mass consumption items including composting machines, wireless data cards, packaged coconut water, tea and coffee mixes, and puffed rice
Excise duty reduction from 16 per cent to 8 per cent on a few more items including water purification devices, veneers and flush doors, sterile dressing pads etc,. specified packaging material and breakfast cereals
Excise duty on both filter and non-filter cigarettes brought on par by applying higher rates on non-filter cigarettes

For any further information on UNION BUDGET 2008 - 2009 refer to the below link:
http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2008-09/bh/bh1.pdf

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