'States Free to Top Up Income Support Scheme'
The country's interim Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal, speaks to Business Today's Prosenjit Datta, Rajeev Dubey and Anilesh S. Mahajan about the Budgets fiscal math, the role of states in the new income support scheme for farmers and the government's plans to fulfil its promises in an election year. Edited excerpts:
How was this news broken to you that you have to present the Budget? How much time did you get to prepare for the Budget speech?
By the time I came in, most of the work was done. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was very clear with his vision. And most of the things were already completed by the prime minister and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. I came to know only on Wednesday night (January 24, the Budget was presented on February 1) that I have to present the Budget. I got eight days to prepare for it. The prime minister gave me support, and the finance minister, despite his health, also gave great support. I was in regular touch with him. He prepared the broad framework for the Budget.
