NEW DELHI: Days before presenting Union Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that she was conscious of the difficulties for the middle class but also reminded that the present government had not imposed any new taxes on them.

"I identify as middle class and belong to the middle class so that I can understand them. The Modi government has not yet introduced a new tax on the middle class. No tax is paid by individuals with salaries up to five lakh rupees, said Nirmala Sitharaman, who was speaking at an event hosted by the RSS-affiliated weekly Panchjanya magazine.
She said that the government has taken a number of steps to increase comfort of living, including creating 100 smart cities and expanding the metro train network in 27 cities.

The middle class uses public transportation the most, hence we built 27 metro stations. Many middle-class individuals are moving to cities in pursuit of employment, and we are concentrating on the objective of "smart cities." The Finance Minister declared, "We will keep working for the middle class.

On February 1, Sitharaman will submit the Union Budget for 2023–24 in the Lok Sabha. There are hopes that the government will increase the income tax threshold and give assistance to middle class taxpayers, among other things.

Budget Session 2023 to begin from January 31

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