Delhi budget may include tough measures by Government

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor C. Rangarajan said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's union budget presented in parliament Monday was a difficult balancing act.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's fiscal budget has risen from Rs.193 crores to over Rs.10 lakh crores in the 63 years since independence of the country in 1947, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while presenting the budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha Monday. "Madam speaker, I am happy to announce that for the first time, the budget estimates have crossed Rs.10 lakh crores.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the first general budget at 11am today in Lok Sabha. This is the first general budget of the UPA government after coming to power for second term.

July 6th, 2009 Every Indian is eagerly awaiting the biggest Budget ever, amidst the slowing down economy. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would present Union budget for this fiscal from 11 this morning.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the railway budget would be a "pro-people" budget. "It will be a pro-people budget, a simple budget, people's budget," Banerjee said after an all-party meeting here.

June 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the national capital facing an acute power crisis, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has appealed to Delhiites to observe energy conservation measures such as closing shops by 8 p.m. There has been an unprecedented increase in demand for power in north India in view of the delayed monsoon and abnormally high temperature.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi's Finance Minister A.K. Walia Monday presented a 'thank you' budget to people for voting the Congress to power for the third consecutive term in the state, retaining the tax structure unchanged, except on tobacco products, and unveiling several new infrastructure projects ahead of Commonwealth Games 2010.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi Government is likely to recommend some tough measures in the state budget which is to be unveiled today. According to senior officials with the Delhi Government, as the revenue fell by over Rs 1,300 crore during the year 2008-09, the Government may feel compelled to undertake some harsh measures to improve its financial position.

June 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday staged a demonstration outside the Delhi assembly to protest power and water shortage in the national capital. The legislators and other Delhi BJP members gathered outside the assembly demanding that the Delhi government take immediate measures to provide relief to people reeling under power and water shortage in various parts of the capital.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Zero tolerance towards terrorism and stern measures to handle both insurgency and Left-wing extremism are some of the tasks before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government as it puts in place a plan to strengthen internal security, President Pratibha Patil said Thursday. The government has already made a detailed plan to address internal security challenges to be implemented in a time-bound manner, Patil told a joint session of parliament.

May 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi Legislative Assembly's budget session would start from June 15 and end July 1, Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said Monday. The state cabinet Monday recommended to Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna to summon the budget session of the fourth legislative assembly from June 15.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Reacting to criticisms over lack of measures in the interim budget presented Monday, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in an election year, an incumbent government had the mandate only to present a vote on account. 'I think this is a failure to understand the limitations of an interim budget,' Ahluwalia said, soon after industry and average citizens complained that the interim budget tabled in parliament by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had no specific measures on tax rates or to help cushion the impact of global slowdown.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee began presenting the interim budget for the next fiscal amid expectations that measures will be announced to cushion the impact of global meltdown on the Indian economy, and help revive consumer demand. The exercise began with Mukherjee reading out his budget speech in the Lok Sabha, during which he will also seek an approval to finance the government's expenditure, till such time the regular budget is presented by a new government after elections, and passed by parliament.

February 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The parliament session commencing Thursday will consider 39 measures - 27 bills, 10 financial measures and two non-legislative items, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said Wednesday. 'These include three bills replacing three ordinances - the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Ordinance, 2009, the Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009, and the Central Universities Ordinance, 2009, promulgated by the president during inter-session period,' he told reporters here.

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - There will be no tax breaks before the budget, the government said here Tuesday. 'I don't expect tax breaks between now and the budget session,' said Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.