Budget likely at noon this year

NEW DELHI, Jan 6: The general budget this year is likely to be presented at noon instead of the traditional 5 pm, official sources hinted...

NEW DELHI, Jan 6: The general budget this year is likely to be presented at noon instead of the traditional 5 pm, official sources hinted here today. Finance minister Yashwant Sinha is seriously considering the change in the timings to move away from the British colonial hangover, sources told PTI.

Sources also said Sinha was toying with the idea of making the budget process more "transparent" except in those areas like indirect taxes in which secrecy needed to be maintained.

Sinha has already indicated that he would effect sweeping reforms in the forthcoming budget to completely do away with the mess in taxation by rationalising the indirect tax. In the last couple of years revenue collections from indirect tax has drastically fallen short of the targets.

Even this financial year while there was a buoyancy in direct tax collection which grew by 15 per cent during April to December 1998, indirect tax which accounted for revenue collections over Rs 100,000 crore annually has recorded only three per centgrowth during the same period.

Only 9 tickets to EBCs is in stark contrast to the INDIA bloc and Congress’s EBC push with the Atipichhda Nyay Sankalp, a separate resolution for EBCs that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav released last month. (PTI Photo)

As Mahagathbandhan stalemate continues in Bihar, a look at the Congress line-up till now

Political Pulse19 min ago

Congress manages to take three seats from allies in Bihar, including Biharsharif in Nalanda district, Kumhrar in Patna, and Bachhwara in Begusarai district. Congress fields 49 candidates, looking to contest 60-61 seats while RJD wants to give only 54-55. Seat-sharing talks stuck as Congress wants more "winnable seats" and RJD has not officially released its list.

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