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Ease Of Living

Question by: A. Chellakumar

Question

  1. Whether the Government focuses on the ease of living of people of the country;
  2. if so, the details thereof and the steps taken or being taken by the Government in this regard;
  3. Whether the Government has undertaken any survey to improve and mitigate problems in India’s growth model; and
  4. if so, the details and the outcome of the survey?

Answer by:Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance (Anurag Singh Thakur)

Answer

  • Yes. To ensure ease of living to citizens, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has adopted three-pronged strategy wherein 100 Smart Cities address the issue ease of living through increased use of digital technology, optimum utilisation of resources and are developed as lighthouses; 500Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) cities addresses the provision of basic services like water supply, sewerage & septage management which need economies of scale; poverty alleviation, affordable housing and sanitation & cleanliness has been addressed in all statutory towns across the country through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-U), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U) and DeendayalAntyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).
  • As highlighted in Economic Survey 2019-20, excessive supply-led bank lending without due diligence prior to 2014 built stresses in the financial sector, which has acted as a drag on the real sector in recent times.
  • Economic Survey 2019-20, has also emphasized, inter alia, on promoting pro-business policies to provide equal opportunities for new entrants, enable fair competition and ease doing business, enable trade for job creation and efficiently scale up the banking sector.
  • Accordingly, the corporate tax rate has been cut to 15 per cent for new domestic manufacturing companies, which is amongst the lowest in the world. In December 2019, the government has announced the Rs. 103 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline which would significantly boost infrastructure and spur growth impulses in the economy.
  • The Union Budget 2020-21 has also announced a number of measures to support broad-based and inclusive economic development. These, inter-alia, include rationalization of personal income tax rates to support domestic demand, a 16-point action plan for holistic development of the agriculture sector and critical measures to boost infrastructure and rural spending.
  • The ongoing reforms and the measures announced in the Union Budget 2020-21 are expected to further strengthen growth.