Budget 2024: Tourism infra will be taken up on Lakshadweep, other islands, Nirmala Sitharaman says

NEW DELHI: In her presentation of the interim Union Budget in Lok Sabha on Thursday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted a surge in domestic tourism and outlined plans to enhance port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities, with a special mention of Lakshadweep.
The islands have garnered attention since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, sparking a rise in their popularity as a must-visit destination for adventure enthusiasts.
A row erupted on social media after a minister and other officials in the Maldives made disparaging comments about Prime Minister Modi, following his video post from a spotless beach in Lakshadweep.
In response, numerous Indians and travel agencies revoked their travel arrangements to the Maldives, a nation that is trying to shift its allegiance towards China and distancing itself from India under the leadership of President Mohamed Muizzu.
In her budget address, Sitharaman mentioned that the Indian middle class now harbors ambitions to "travel and explore".
"To address the emerging fervour for domestic tourism, projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities will be taken up on our islands, including Lakshadweep. This will help in generating employment also," the FM said in her speech.
The finance minister further stressed the potential of tourism, including spiritual tourism, in fostering local entrepreneurship and announced initiatives to globally market iconic tourist centers and establish a rating framework for quality assessment.
Aviation sector and infrastructure development
Sitharaman announced the continuation of aggressive expansion and development in the aviation sector. This includes the doubling of airports in the last decade and significant aircraft orders by Indian carriers. The minister highlighted the success of the UDAN scheme in enhancing air connectivity to tier-two and tier-three cities and its role in the rapid growth of domestic air passenger traffic, marking India as one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets globally.
No change in tax rates
Sitharaman said there are no changes in tax rates for direct and indirect taxes, including import duties. She also said the number of tax filers has swollen 2.4 times and the direct tax collection has trebled since 2014. The interim budget reflects a commitment to fiscal consolidation, with the fiscal deficit target reduced to 5.1% of GDP for 2024-25 and a significant increase in capital expenditure on large infrastructure projects.
(With inputs from agencies)