FM Goyal presents Interim Budget, claims India is "solidly back on track"

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday presented the Budget for fiscal 2019-20 and highlighted various achievements and welfare measures undertaken by the Modi government during last four-and-half years and said "India is solidly back on track".

Presenting his maiden and Modi government's sixth Budget speech in the august Lower House of Parliament, Mr Goyal said the country will embark on a route to New India by the year 2022 when India completes 75 years of Independence.

Amid frequent thumping of desks including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP patriarch L K Advani and Union Ministers among others but repeatedly yelling by Opposition members, Mr Goyal said the fiscal deficit has been brought down to 3.4 per cent in the revised estimate of 2018-19.

He said the government has also brought down inflation of essential commodities. "Hamari sarkar ney, kamar tod mehangai ki Kamar hi tod di (We have broken the very spinal cord of the inflation)", the Finance Minister said adding in December 2018 - thanks to efforts made by the government the inflation rate was brought down to 2.19 per cent.