Government to present budget in first week of July: Pranab

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has proposed to substantially enhance the allocations for the Commonwealth Games 2010 from Rs. 2,112 crore in the interim budget to Rs.

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 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in parliament house Friday morning to present her ministry's budget for this fiscal, promising to address the demands of the average passenger. "My budget will be of the people, by the people and for the people," Banerjee told reporters before leaving for parliament house to present the railway budget in Lok Sabha, the lower house.

June 19th, 2009 New Delhi, June 19 (ANI): Union Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee ahead of the general budget, which is to be presented on July 6. As part of the pre-budget exercise, Mukherjee held parleys with various stakeholders, state finance ministers, industrialist groups, leading economists, trade unionists and top officials of various financial institutions.

June 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee held pre-budget discussions with leaders of Congress party ahead of the budget for full fiscal year 2009/10 (April-March) that would be presented on July 6. "As a party man I have an obligation to listen to the views of my party leaders.

June 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet on Monday decided to hold the Budget session from July 2 to 7 while the General Budget will be presented on July 6. It was also decided that the Economy Survey would be presented on July 2.

June 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday said the budget for fiscal 2009-10 to be presented next month would reflect the views of everyone. Emerging from a pre-budget meeting of senior party leaders that he chaired, Mukherjee told reporters at the Congress headquarters here: "We had earlier taken the suggestions of industrialists and trade unions.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin pre-budget consultations with different groups from today. Mukherjee will hold consultations with trade and industry bodies like the FICCI, the CII, the ASSOCHAM and the FIEO, economists, agriculturists, bankers and corporate honchos ahead of the presentation of the budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin pre-budget consultations with different groups from Monday. Mukherjee will hold consultations with trade and industry bodies like the FICCI, the CII, the ASSOCHAM and the FIEO, economists, agriculturists, bankers and corporate honchos ahead of the presentation of the budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said the government will push for economic reform and is required to present the Union Budget within 45 days of coming to power. Addressing his first press conference after assuming charge of the Finance Ministry, Mukherjee said, "We will adhere to this schedule and propose to present the Budget in the first week of July.

May 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee formally assumed charge of his portfolio - an office he returns to after a quarter of a century - Monday and immediately got down to business with a meeting with top officials on the preparation of the national budget. "Immediately after assuming charge, Mukherjee had a series of meetings with all senior officers of the ministry and reviewed the status of various programmes and issues related to all departments of the ministry," said an official statement.

May 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday expressed optimism that the government would be able to present the financial budget in due time. "Indian economy is resilient, strong and we shall have to build up and come back to the growth track as early as possible.

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 did not present a populist budget as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had done a 'tremendous job' and does not need to play to the gallery, the ruling Congress maintained Monday. Mukherjee observed 'constitutional propriety' while presenting the interim budget, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

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.