Gross budgetary allocation at Rs 205000 cr

NEW DELHI: India's ruling Congress party-led coalition presented its fourth budget at 11 am on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, a member of the left-leaning government elected in May 2004, started his speech saying:

• Gross budgetary allocation to support the plan at Rs 205000 cr

• Average agri growth during 10th plan below expectation

• Sharp ups and downs in agriculture

• Per capita income grew by 7.5%

• Government committed to economic stability

• Focus expected to be on rural economy

• Growth rate has improved to 9.27% in FY07

• Average growth in past 3 years UPA's focus on

• Inflation to be 5.2% to 5.4% in this fiscal

• Gross budgetary support to be substantially hiked

• FM: Supply constrains can upset the economy

• Govt confident on managing inflation

• Double allocation on education

• 11th plan to focus on faster growth rate

• Govt committed to special panel set up for commodities mkt

• Agriculture to be top on the agenda of UPA govt

• New scholarship for 8th std students to arrest dropouts

• Allocation to health up

• Allocation to school education up

• 11th plan to focus on faster growth

• Govt to monitor hoarding

• Panel to monitor futures trade in food items