Union Budget 2023: Big push for agri digital infra, co-ops, organic farming

Rural housing gets huge fund outlay for completion of projects ahead of 2024 general elections

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s last full Budget before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 had a big focus on completing 29.5 million rural houses, apart from announcements on digitising agriculture, pushing organic and natural farming, and boosting the activities of cooperatives.

However, commentators said they would do little to boost demand in the rural sector, which has been languishing since the start of the fiscal year due to high inflation.

The allocation for the rural jobs scheme (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, or MGNREGA) was slashed by 33 per cent in Budget Estimates (BE) of 2023-24 (FY24),