Budget 2017-18: Honest tax payers will be benefitted through this budget, says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who on Wednesday presented the Union Budget 2017-18  along with the fiscal policy statements in Parliament, is addressing a press conference. He tabled the Budget in the Upper House after doing so in the Lok Sabha.

Before the House convened and Chairman Hamid Ansari came, Jaitley met and greeted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a noted economist, and shared a few moments with him. He also greeted senior member Karan Singh, besides some others.

Soon after the tabling of the budget, the Chairman adjourned the House for the day.

Here are the highlights of Jaitley's Press Conference:

#If tax returns are filed both the donor & the donee will get exemption on tax in political donations

#Many steps in the budget are towards boosting employment, it is not a separate chapter

#Electoral bonds to be redeemable only in notified accounts of political parties

#We have raised the allocation towards defence

#Announced scheme to cleanse political funding and to make the economy cleaner and transparent at large

#Through the budget we wanted honest tax payers to benefit

#Our fight against corruption will continue

#Govt's motive was to continue the fight against black money hence we are taking steps to make people tax compliant

#Strict action will be taken against tax defaulters

#The honest will not suffer because of the tax defaulters