Tackling inflation, price rise, increasing investments in infrastructure and agriculture besides rationalisation of tax structure are likely to be priority areas of the Finance minister.
Measures to tackle corruption and unearthing black money may also figure in the budget speech apart from taking the reform process forward, as indicated in the economic survey. The common man is likely to be the focus of the budget with expectations of higher allocations for social sector including health, education and food security.
Measures to plug leakages in the public distribution system, PDS, may also figure in the budget as economic survey has pointed out that 55 per cent of food grains in PDS, get diverted. With the economy on higher growth path expectations from the budget are very high. It will be a tight rope walk for Mr Pranab Mukerjee to balance between fiscal consolidation and sustaining growth and employment with inflation still on s higher pedestal.