The upcoming Union Budget will attempt to meet the hopes and aspirations of the people and strive to be a ray of hope for the world amid global economic turmoil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. “Amid the unstable global economic situation, India’s Budget will not only attempt to meet the hopes and aspirations of the common citizens, but the ray of hope being seen by the world will also glow brighter — for this, I firmly believe that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will make all efforts to meet those aspirations.”
The Union Budget 2023-24 will be presented by finance minister Sitharaman on Wednesday.
Addressing the media ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, the Prime Minister said recognised voices in the world of economy are bringing positive messages from all sides, perhaps a reference to the International Monetary Fund’s update overnight on Monday that said the Indian economy would grow by 6.1% in 2023-24, the fastest for a major economy that year.
UNION BUDGET 2023: FULL COVERAGE
“I am confident the finance minister will strive to fulfil people’s hopes, aspirations and also boost the hopes with which the world is looking at India,” Modi said.
Referring to President Droupadi Murmu’s first address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Modi said it was a moment of pride for the country and its parliamentary system that the Budget Session would start with the address of a President who belongs to a tribal community. This is an opportunity to respect women and the great tribal traditions of the country, the Prime Minister said.
Even as two political parties — the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — boycotted the President’s address, Modi said a parliamentary tradition that has evolved over the decades enables conducive atmosphere in the House during maiden speeches. Irrespective of party affiliation, the members show respect and create an atmosphere to encourage and instil confidence in the speaker, he said.
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“…This is a rich and the best tradition. It is the responsibility of parliamentarians to ensure that this moment of the President’s first address to Parliament is full of enthusiasm, warmth and energy. I am sure our Parliamentarians will pass this test,” the PM said.
He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has always worked with the intent to put “India First” and “Citizens First” and the same spirit will be seen during the Budget Session, which is scheduled to end on April 6.
Pointing out that the upcoming session is bound to see some sparring between the government and the Opposition, the Prime Minister expressed hope that there would also be deliberations.
The Prime Minister later posted a tweet while referring to the President’s address. “Rashtrapati Ji’s address to both Houses of Parliament covered a wide range of topics, giving an in-depth picture of the transformative changes taking place across sectors. She highlighted how common citizens have been empowered and ‘Ease of Living’ furthered,” he tweeted.