The government aims to cover this year as many as 10 crore farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme, wherein they will be given Rs.6,000 annually in three equal instalments, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said. Around 5.88 crore small farmers have so far received the first-tranche of Rs.2,000 each under the PM-Kisan and 3.40 crore peasants have got the second instalment as well, he said.

In its maiden-budget for 2019-2020, Kamal Nath government did not impose any fresh-tax-burden on the people but instead took steps to fulfil-promises charted in the party-manifesto for last year's Madhya Pradesh assembly-polls with the apparent intention of pleasing all sections of society. A proposed three-fold hike in honorarium to priests of registered temples was seen to render a tinge of soft-Hindutva to the budget.

India could impose a tax on imported palm oils amid demands for enhanced export incentives on soyabean derivatives to ensure that growers of the edible oil crop in Maharashtra, where state polls are due this autumn, get remunerative prices after Iran sanctions shut down a crucial market. India's edible oil industry is concerned about the surging imports of palm oil.