"India Will Have To Improve Public Transport System Rapidly": PM Modi

Stressing the benefits of modernisation of the public transport system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today noted its rapid improvement while saying that one of the thrust areas in this year's Union Budget was infrastructure.

Speaking at the flagging-off event of two Vande Bharat Express trains from Mumbai today, Prime Minister Modi said, "India of the 21st century will have to improve its public transport system rapidly. The quicker our public transport system becomes modern, the more will be the ease of living of the people. It will bring a significant change to their way of life.

Modern trains are being introduced and Metro services are being expanded, new airports and ports are being constructed in line with our vision to take the country forward," PM Modi said after flagging off the Vande Bharat Express trains from Mumbai.

"Our thinking bears ample reflection in the Union Budget. For the first time, Rs 10 lakh crore has been allocated for infrastructure development. This is five times more in comparison to the outlay in the last nine years," he added.

Bringing up the tax rebate by the Centre in the Union Budget, Prime Minister Modi compared the tax slabs under the BJP government with those of the previous UPA government, saying that the Congress-led government taxed the middle class while the BJP government exempted them from taxes.

"The middle class has been strengthened in this Budget. Before 2014, a middle-class citizen earning more than Rs 2 lakh had to pay taxes. The BJP government earlier gave exemption on income up to 5 lakhs and now the limit has been increased to Rs 7 lakh. This is a government which works in the interest of the poor and middle class and takes decisions keeping their interests at heart. The UPA government taxed 20 per cent on the earning that has been made zero tax today," PM Modi said.

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