FM hangs out with netizen aam aadmi

The USP was that anyone with internet access could hangout with the finance minister and ask questions on the Budget. It generated questions on issues ranging from service tax on flats for personal use,to gold imports and tax slabs.

Though some of the participants were pre-selected,the aam aadmi was represented by Reechal Vardhan,a student at the IIM Banglore,Kala Kudva,a homemaker and Kanwalpreet Singh Brar,a farmer from Punjab.

While Brar quizzed the finance minister on public private arrangements on farming sector,Vardhan was curious to know what programmes would be funded through the Rs 1,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund proposed in the Budget. Kudva was more concerned on why the Budget has done nothing for urban middle class but levied more taxes,espeically at a time when high inflation is eating into real incomes.

Others in the discucssion included Rishad Premji,chief startegy officer at Wipro; Jahangir Aziz,India chief economist,JP Morgan; Anand Mahindra,CMD,Mahindra amp; Mahindra; and Amit Singhal,senior vice-president,Google Inc.