Ease fiscal consolidation in Budget, hike health spend, economists urge FM

Also call for efforts to enhance exports, build farm infrastructure

Economists have urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to relax fiscal deficit consolidation in the Budget for 2021-22 (FY22) and make efforts to enhance exports from the country. They also called for raising expenditure on health and focusing on agriculture infrastructure (infra) without which the recent reforms would not hold ground.

In a pre-Budget interaction on Saturday, they said the fiscal deficit framework could be returned to normal after a few years.  Another meeting with economists is slated for Wednesday.

Amid a stressed revenue position and spending pressure to spur economic activity during the Covid-19 pandemic, the fiscal deficit has already