'Aatmanirbhar' Packages accelerated India's rate of reform: Finance Minister

New Delhi, Feb 1 (KNN) The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the 'Aatmanirbhar' Packages accelerated India's rate of reform.

''Preparation of this Budget was undertaken under circumstances like never before. We couldn't have imagined the global slowdown during the last Budget. We announced the 'Aatmanirbhar' Package in May 2020 to sustain recovery,'' She said this while presenting the budget in the parliament.

'The 'Aatmanirbhar' Packages accelerated India's rate of reform,'' she added.

She further said that Atmanirbhar Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Yojana were like 3-4 mini Budgets in themselves.

Commenting on the COVID-19 support measures, she asserted that the total COVID-19 support measures amount to 13 percent of GDP and total COVID-19 support measures by government and RBI amounts to Rs 27.1 lakh crore.

The Finance Minister using a 'made in India' tablet computer to deliver a paperless Budget address.

She also announced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy under which vehicles to undergo fitness tests - which is 20 years for passenger vehicles and 15 years for commercial vehicles.

''Further details of the scrappage policy to be announced shortly,'' she informed.

Budget 2021 proposals rest on six pillars such as Health and Well-Being, Physical and Financial capital and infrastructure, Inclusive Development for Aspirational India, Reinvigorating Human Capital, Innovation and R&D, and Minimum Government, and Maximum Governance.