By IANS,
New Delhi : Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee reached Parliament House here Monday to present the federal budget for the ensuing fiscal and his sixth such exercise in a long political career.
Expectations are high from both households and the corporate sector as this budget comes against the backdrop of high inflation, fluctuating industrial growth, erratic exports and the general perception that the reforms process has retarded.
Ahead of the presentation, the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), though, was ruling at 17,833.38 points, with a gain of 132.47 points, or 0.75 percent.