Manmohan meets Pranab, Mamata ahead of Budget

Ahead of the Budget, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and other senior Cabinet colleagues, and is believed to have discussed issues concerning the state of the economy.

The government is scheduled to table the Budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July, reflecting the "programmes and priorities" outlined by President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

Among others with whom the prime minister had consultations during the day include Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Home Minister P Chidambaram and RBI Governor D Subbarao, according to official sources.

According to indications, the government is likely to present the Budget in the Lok Sabha on July 3, while the Railway Budget is expected to be tabled on July 1. The Economic Survey, which precedes the Budget, could be tabled on July 2.

The prime minister had asked the finance ministry to "ensure that the next Union Budget adequately and appropriately reflects the priorities and programmes outlined in the President's address to joint session of Parliament".

The Budget, to be presented by Mukherjee, among other things, is expected to announce initiatives to arrest the impact of the global financial meltdown on the Indian economy.