New Delhi [India]: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a key pre-Budget consultation meeting with representatives from States and Union Territories in Jaisalmer on Friday.
The meeting, attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, saw participation from several prominent leaders, including the Chief Ministers of Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Odisha. Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana, along with Finance Ministers and senior officials from various states and UTs, were also present.
Top officials from the Ministry of Finance, including the Secretaries of the Departments of Economic Affairs and Expenditure, participated in the discussions.
The gathering in Jaisalmer comes ahead of the GST Council meeting scheduled for Saturday, where ministers from across the states and UTs are expected to deliberate on critical fiscal and economic policies.
Pre-Budget Consultations in Full Swing
As part of the annual pre-Budget consultations, Finance Minister Sitharaman has been engaging with diverse stakeholders, including MSME representatives, farmers’ associations, and economists. These consultations aim to gather valuable inputs and insights to shape the Budget for the upcoming financial year.
The formal process for preparing the Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is well underway. Continuing the tradition, the Union Budget will be presented on February 1, 2025.
This Budget will mark Sitharaman’s eighth and is expected to include significant announcements, reflecting the government’s economic vision for the remaining term of the Modi 3.0 administration.