Budget 2021: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces new Atmanirbhar Health Yojana with outlay of Rs 64,180 crore

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday launched Aatma Nirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of 64,180 crore. Sitharaman made the announcement while presenting Union Budget 2021-22 in Lok Sabha. "The government will set up 15 health emergenct centres. It will strengthen National Center for Disease Control," she said.

Earlier, Sitharaman laid down six pillars of Budget 2021 - Health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infra, Inclusive development, Human capital, Innovation and Research & Development (R&D) and Minimum government and maximum governance.

While presenting the Budget 2021, Sitharaman said that the Indian economy is in contraction due to coronavirus pandemic. "The government fully prepared. The Indian economy in contraction due to global economy, which was slowing down, was pushed into uncertainty due to COVID-19. The risk of not having a lockdown was far more, far too high," she said.

Sitharaman quoted Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and said, "Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."

The Finance Minister said that Budget 2021 has been prepared "keeping in mind circumstances like never before". "PM Gareeb Kalyan Yojana and many other schemes were like five mini budgets. Rs 27.1 lakh crore - total amount spent by govt and RBI on covid relief measures," she noted.