Congress says Budget to be a promising one

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will bring out a “very promising Budget” for the next financial year, the Congress said today.

“A very promising Budget is going to come. The government is now well in control. Economic steps are the most important thing.... Next year, we are going to have many programmes, which will have far-reaching consequences,” Congress spokesperson P C Chacko told reporters here.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram will present the Budget proposals for 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha on February 28.

The government will attempt to abide by the decisions taken at the three-day Chintan Shivir (brainstorming camp) held in Jaipur earlier this month, which stressed on bridging the scocio- economic divide and addressing the issues of the poor and the middle class, Chacko said. “Some immediate steps are to be taken. These are going to be announced in the Budget.”

The government would get the Food Security Bill passed, roll out direct benefits transfer and continue economic reforms, he said.

Praising the steps taken by the government, the Congress spokesperson said the global economic crisis did not affect India too much due to “effective management”.

He added the UPA government would stick to its path of economic reforms: "The AICC (All India Congress Committee) guidelines is that go ahead with the reform programme....The government is always directed by the programmes of the party.”