Budget backs infrastructure,farmers

He also urged a return to fiscal responsibility targets as soon as possible.

8220;The first challenge is to return the GDP growth rate of 9 percent per annum at the earliest,8221; Mukherjee said. 8220;The second challenge is to deepen and broaden the agenda for inclusive development.8221;

Bond yields rose after the announcement of additional spending,while stocks were down by 1.37 percent.

The first budget of Singh8217;s new administration is seen as a roadmap for how he will govern for the next five years after his Congress party-led coalition was reelected by an unexpectedly decisive margin.

Mukherjee called on states to remove bottlenecks for infrastructure projects,and outlined plans for more flexible financing for infrastructure and development of long-distance gas pipelines.

Unconstrained by its previous alliance with leftist parties,Singh8217;s new Government has a freer hand to implement economic liberalisation measures to drive expansion but has also promised 8220;inclusive growth8221; to support social programmes and rural development.