Union Budget: Finance Minister Reaches Parliament

New Delhi: Ahead of the Union Budget 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emerged on Saturday carrying her Budget papers once again in a traditional red “bahi khata” (cloth ledger) similar to last year.

She was photographed in a yellow silk sari, holding the red cloth folder, as she met President Ram Nath Kovind before proceeding to Parliament to table the Budget.

The “bahi khata” debuted last year as the finance minister ditched the traditional budget briefcase carried by her predecessors.

According to media reports, Sitharaman may try to lure the middle and lower class to boost demand in the economy despite the giant hole in government finances.

As part of this plan, she is expected to tweak the tax slabs limit in Budget 2020 though budgetary constraints could play a critical role.