PM Modi holds pre-Budget consultation with economists, experts

New Delhi: Days ahead of Union Budget and a perceived atmosphere of economic slowdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended an interactive session with more than 40 economists and other experts on the theme ‘Economic Policy – The Road Ahead’.
During the session — hosted by the Niti Aayog — participants shared their views, in five distinct groups, on the economic themes of macro-economy and employment, agriculture and water resources, exports, education and health.
In his intervention, the Prime Minister thanked various participants for their suggestions and observations, on various aspects of the economy.
The Budget 2019-20 will be first Budget after the recent polls which gave the Modi government an enhanced mandate.
The meeting was held in the backdrop of dipping automobiles sales and reduced domestic oil consumption and a general fear of India facing a slow-down in economic growth evidenced in the decline in industrial and manufacturing output numbers.
The meeting was also attended by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State
Statistics and Programme Implementation and Planning Rao Inderjeet Singh.
Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, and senior officers from the Union Government and NITI Aayog were also present.
Earlier in the day, the Niti Aaoyg tweeted: “Preparatory meeting of domain experts underway at NITI Aayog to discuss breakthrough ideas in Employment, Agricultural and Water Resources, Export, Education, and Health.
Sources said during the deliberations, priorities on each sector and also key aspects of opportunities were shared with the Prime Minister.
The Union Budget 2019-20 will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 5 in Parliament.
Meanwhile, setting the Budget making process on, the Finance Minister has also on her part started consultation with various stake holders and experts.
The government is expected to draw out an elaborate road map to deal with agrarian crisis and the challenge of unemployment.