Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, while replying to the debate on Finance Bill-2010 in Lok Sabha today, announced an additional relief package. The extracts from the Finance Minister’s speech are as follows:
The Coffee growers in the country have been facing long standing financial problems ever since the coffee prices fell to very low levels during the period 2000-2004. Relief Packages in the form of Special Coffee Term Loan 2002 and Special Coffee Relief Package 2005 were sanctioned to revive coffee sector, besides other initiatives like PM’s Relief Package for Debt Stressed farmers and Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme 2008. However, a large number of affected growers did not get the required relief.
The Government has now decided to approve a fresh Coffee Debt Relief Package, specifically for the small growers. As per this, for pre-2002 loans, 50 per cent of the total liability shall be waived subject to a maximum benefit of Rs.5 lakh per farmer to be borne by Government of India. An additional 25 per cent shall be waived by banks and balance shall be rescheduled. The Package also envisages 20 per cent waiver of liability under Crop Loans with 10 per cent each being borne by the Government of India and banks respectively, subject to a maximum benefit of Rs.1 lakh. For Post-2002 Term Loans, 10 per cent of the total liability shall be waived subject to a maximum benefit of Rs.1 lakh. The Package shall also provide relief to medium and large farmers who shall be permitted to reschedule the loans. The total financial implication for the Government of India is Rs.241.33 crore while benefit to Coffee growers will be around Rs.362.82 crore.
While introducing the Finance Bill, 2010 in respect of Direct Taxes, emphasis has been on relief to individual taxpayers, encouraging research and development in the country, providing some relief measures in view of the recessionary impact and rationalization of procedure and steps to mitigate compliance cost. Based on the discussions and representations received after the introduction of the Finance Bill, certain further reliefs and concessions on direct taxes are proposed.
Availability of modern hospitals is a priority area for the country and private sector participation is desirable in order to provide better healthcare facilities to citizens. Currently, hospitals (of more than 100-bed capacity) constructed in any area other than the “excluded areaâ€