Refusing to speculate on what Finance Minister P Chidambaram would do in his forthcoming budget to boost sagging economy, Plan panel deputy chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia said it would be a good one.

Amid talk that service tax could be imposed on film tickets in the coming budget, a delegation of film makers along with Information and BroadcastingMinister Ambika Soni today met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The Industrial sector which was keeping fingers crossed and expecting more from this General Budget, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, had to face some harsh realities.

Trinamool Congress member Derek O'Brien on Thursday dubbed as absurd former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's argument that fares were being raised to enhance safety and said it appeared to be "gimmickry".

Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Sunday emphasized on raising funds for the safety operations of the Indian Railways.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday expressed hope that indirect tax collection target of Rs 3.92 lakh crore for the current fiscal will be met despite the economic slowdown.

A high-level railway safety review committee here on Friday suggested Rs one lakh crore investment in five years and setting up of a railway safety authority as an independent body for improving the deteriorating condition of Indian Railways.

Parliament on Thursday passed the Rail Budget 2012-13 after the government announced a roll back of hike in passenger fares for all classes except AC 2 Tier and First Class.

Injecting a note of levity in his somber budget presentation, a smiling Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha on Friday that he had no problem in a "rollback of the speech".

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said the growth of the Indian economy estimated at 6.9 percent during this fiscal year was "disappointing" as he started presenting what was his seventh federal budget in the Lok Sabha.