Budget 2019: FM Sitharaman Discards Briefcase, Adopts 'Bahi-Khata'

According to the Economic Survey 2018-19, tabled by Sitharaman in Parliament on Thursday, India continues to remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world in 2018-19, despite a slight moderation in its gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 7.2 per cent in 2017-18 to 6.8 per cent in 2018-19.

Picture credit: ANI

New Delhi: Setting a new trend, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman jettisoned the traditional briefcase ahead of her first Budget 2019 speech and instead carried a fourfold red cloth with the national emblem wrapped with a ribbon. Speaking about ditching the British-era custom, Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian said, “It is in Indian tradition. It symbolizes our departure from slavery of Western thought. It is not a budget but a 'bahi khata'(ledger)." Union Budget 2019 will be presented at 11 am in Lok Sabha today. The Railway Budget will also be presented today along with the Union Budget. This practice was also begun in the year 2016, where the practice of presenting the rail budget separately was discarded.

Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian on FM Nirmala Sitharaman keeping budget documents in four fold red cloth instead of a briefcase: It is in Indian tradition. It symbolizes our departure from slavery of Western thought. It is not a budget but a 'bahi khata'(ledger) pic.twitter.com/ZhXdmnfbvl

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2019

According to the Economic Survey 2018-19, tabled by Sitharaman in Parliament on Thursday, India continues to remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world in 2018-19, despite a slight moderation in its gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 7.2 per cent in 2017-18 to 6.8 per cent in 2018-19. The new custom was appreciated by Twitter users.