Union Budget 2026-27 a historic step towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ and women empowerment: Abha Bansal
Mohali (DPB)February 1
Terming the Union Budget 2026-27 as a historic milestone towards a developed India and women empowerment, BJP leader Abha Bansal on Sunday said that the 80th Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reflects the Modi government’s clear vision for inclusive and sustainable growth. Addressing the media, she said that in her 83-minute speech, the Finance Minister laid out a comprehensive roadmap for the nation’s progress, focusing on three core objectives — economic development, fulfilling the aspirations of the middle class, and the philosophy of “development for all”.
Bansal said the budget carries several far-reaching provisions for the middle class, youth and especially women, which will significantly help in improving their standard of living. Highlighting the focus on infrastructure, she said that the government has increased capital expenditure by 9 per cent to ₹12.2 lakh crore, aimed at achieving record growth in infrastructure and accelerating the construction of roads, bridges and railway lines across the country. She added that the announcement to develop seven high-speed rail corridors on major routes including Delhi–Varanasi, Mumbai–Pune and Pune–Hyderabad will give a fresh impetus to national connectivity and economic activity.
Referring to tax reforms, she said the new Income Tax Act, which will come into effect from April 1, 2026, will provide major relief to the general public, particularly the middle class, by simplifying tax provisions. She further noted that the reduction in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on foreign education and remittances from 5 per cent to 2 per cent will ease the financial burden on families and students aspiring for education abroad.
Bansal also welcomed the government’s decision to remove customs duty on medicines for 17 serious and life-threatening diseases, including cancer, saying this step would make critical medicines more affordable and deserved special appreciation. She termed the announcement to establish three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda as a significant move towards strengthening healthcare and traditional medicine in the country.
Highlighting the women-centric measures in the budget, Bansal said the Modi government continues to advance its vision of “women-led development”. She pointed to the proposal to set up SHE-Marts (Self-Help Entrepreneur Marts) across the country, which will enable women self-help groups to market and sell their products, thereby promoting entrepreneurship. She also said that the decision to construct women’s hostels in every district would encourage higher education among girls by addressing accommodation issues. In addition, special funds and scholarships have been announced to boost women’s participation in science, technology and engineering (STEM) fields, while loan conditions have been eased for women-led enterprises in the MSME sector to support women entrepreneurs.
Concluding her remarks, Bansal said there was no doubt that the budget would help the country achieve a growth rate of 7.4 per cent, with maximum benefits accruing to the youth, women and backward sections of society. She asserted that the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stands as a living example of the BJP’s philosophy of Antyodaya and its firm commitment towards building a Viksit Bharat.
