Country touching new heights of progress: PM Modi ahead of Budget Session 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the country is touching new heights of progress and asserted that its journey of "inclusive and all-round" development will continue with people's blessings, reported news agency PTI.

In his remarks ahead of Parliament's Budget Session 2024, PM Modi also slammed those opposition MPs who "habitually" disrupt proceedings.

"Those habitual of creating disturbances, those who disrobe democratic values, all such honourable MPs must certainly introspect in this last session of Parliament of what they have done in the last ten years," the prime minister said, reported PTI.

"I am of the firm belief that the country is moving forward and touching new heights of progress ... the country is experiencing all-round and inclusive development," he said.

"We are going to follow the tradition of presenting a full-fledged budget after the new government is formed," PM Modi said, reported PTI.

The Budget Session 2024 of Parliament, the last of the present Lok Sabha, begins on Wednesday with an address by President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting.

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmi, addressing a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, asserted that 2023 was a historic year for the country when it maintained the tag of being the fastest-growing major economy, reported ANI.

"The year 2023 was a historic year for India, when it grew the fastest among major economies despite global crisis. India grew about 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters," she told the Parliament, on behalf of the central government, reported ANI.

The Indian economy grew 7.8 per cent and 7.6 per cent, respectively, during the April-June and July-September quarter of the current financial year 2023-24, thus remaining the fastest-growing major economy.

"...This is my first address in the new Parliament building. This grand building has been built at the beginning of the Amrit Kaal. This has the fragrance of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat'...This also has the resolve to honour democratic and parliamentary traditions. Besides this, it also has the resolve to build new traditions of the new India of the 21st century," Murmu said, reported ANI.

"I am confident that there will be meaningful conversation on policies, in this new building," the President said, reported ANI.

Speaking about her government, she said, "The achievements that we see today are the extension of the practices of the last 10 years. We heard the slogan of 'Gareebi Hatao' since our childhood. Today, for the first time in our lives, we see poverty being alleviated on a large scale," reported ANI.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim Union Budget on Thursday.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)