Union environment and forest minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the new central budget will be a historical one, which will ensure job creation and sustainable development. “That is the thrust of Modi Government,” Javadekar said.

Prakash Javadekar was interacting with industrialists and farmer-representatives in Coimbatore. Reiterating that the Modi government was focusing on Jawan, Noujavan, Kisan and Karmachari (Soldier, Youth, Farmer and Labourer), Javadekar said the officials are taking steps to fulfill the people’s aspirations.

He said that for the first time in the country, the Government has increased the minimum wages and enhanced the ceiling of bonus and fixed wages for contract workers. He added that in one year, a record 17 crore poor have opened bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, and 12 crore have insured for accidents.

Answering to a question from the industrialists, he said that Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) was not the policy, but not polluting water bodies was the policy. Stating that there are 16 crore families in India, of which 40 percent have no LPG connection and using firewood, Javadekar said that the Govenrment was working towards to give LPG connection to all in another 10 years.

He also said that the government has stabilized the price of sugarcanes and initiated the usage of ethanol in petrol, which was previously blocked by the import lobby.