India budget announces handouts for poor farmers, workers - Free Audiobook

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has announced a cash handout for small farmers, an informal employment pension scheme and tax relief for small traders in an interim budget to prop up popular support ahead of national election due before May. Poor farmers in India will be getting money, under an interim budget announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.The plan calls for a cash handout for small farmers of 6-thousand rupees - or 85 U.S. dollars - annually.The interim budget also includes a pension scheme for informal workers and a doubling of tax relief for the lower middle class.The announcement comes, ahead of national elections due before May.India's finance minister laid out the plan in Parliament on Friday....as reports said the government was suppressing data that the unemployment rate has hit a 45-year high of 6.1 percent.The government says the data are premature and official figures will be given in March.