By IANS,
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. Today, the views of partymen were taken.”
He said these would all reflect in the budget. The meeting was attended by several senior leaders and members of the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said she insisted on working out a policy to ensure that the state governments did not “hijack central government schemes” to make political capital. She also expressed concern on the depleting water table in Punjab and Haryana.
Soni told reporters: “The party leaders said the promises made in the Congress’ (election) manifesto should find a reflection in the budget.”
She said the leaders spoke on various issues, including giving due weightage to health, education and infrastructure projects in the budget.
The budget would be presented in the parliament July 6. The budget session starts July 2 with the presentation of the Economic Survey and go on till Aug 7.