Focus on youth, women, farmers, poor, asserts FM Nirmala Sitharaman

– Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will, at 11 am, present the Modi 2.0 government’s last Budget before the general elections, which is likely to contain a mix of measures for the economy and electorally significant segments like farmers and women- Her sixth straight Budget will present a political document with a snapshot of the Modi government’s triumphs over the last 10 years and pointers to how it wants to take the country forward- The Budget she will present is technically a vote on account and popularly termed an interim Budget as it seeks Parliament’s nod for a grant in advance to meet the central government’s essential expenditure for the first four months of the new fiscal year that starts in April- A vote on account seeks approvals for essential expenditure outlays until the polls, while the interim Budget broadly includes an assessment of the current state of the economy, current/capex expenditures, and receipts, as well as revised estimates of the current financial year and estimates for the year ahead- The interim Budget presents an occasion for spectacle just weeks ahead of the Model Code of Conduct coming into force- A new government elected after the April/May general elections will present the full Budget, likely in July



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