Nirmala Sitharaman will be present the budget in parliament on July 5. (File photo)
A day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted her appreciation for public feedback ahead of the full Union Budget, the government today put out a link to its open forum, inviting more ideas and suggestions.
"Here's your chance to be a part of the Budget-making process. Share your ideas and suggestions for the Union Budget 2019-2020 with the @FinMinIndia," said MyGov, the government's citizen platform, in a tweet posted with the link to its website.
The budget will be presented in parliament on July 5.
"We seek your valuable ideas to continue the tradition of the Union Budget incorporating the citizens' aspirations. The last date for submissions on this forum is 20th June 2019," the website said.
Within an hour, more than 650 people submitted their suggestions on the forum.
On Thursday, Ms Sitharaman had said she and her team welcomed the feedback from the public. "Grateful for every thought/idea that's being shared by scholars, economists and enthusiasts through print, electronic, and on social media. I read many of them; also, my team carefully collates them for me. Value every bit. Thanks. Please keep them coming," said the Finance Minister.
Ms Sitharaman, who took charge as the first full-time woman Finance Minister in the new government, faces two major challenges; tepid economic growth and rising unemployment.
In a bid to boost demand and provide a fiscal stimulus, Ms Sitharaman could cut taxes in her first budget, news agency Reuters quoted Finance Ministry officials as saying.
Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday slashed the repo rate - the interest rate at which banks borrow short-term loans from the RBI - by 25 basis points, to 5.75 per cent. The six-member committee also changed the policy stance to "accommodative" from "neutral".