FM Nirmala Sitharaman commences Budget presentation for 2021-22

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commenced presentation of the Budget for 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha that is expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday commenced presentation of the Budget for 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha that is expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man as well as focus more on driving economic recovery through higher spending on healthcare, infrastructure and defence amid rising tensions with neighbours.

As India emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, the ninth budget under the Modi government, including an interim one, is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer and easing rules to attract foreign investments.

Sitharaman, who had in her first budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata', had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be "like never before".

It has to be a vision statement, a roadmap to get the world's fastest-growing major economy back on track.