Pre-Budget meet: Sitharaman seeks cooperation from states to spur economy

If the deficit targets are to be achieved it should be achieved from the revenue side and not the expenditure side, Kerala FM Thomas Isaac said

Some states on Friday demanded stimulus to boost the economy, even if it led to a higher fiscal deficit in the full Budget for 2019-20 than 3.4 per cent pegged in the interim Budget. State finance ministers met Union Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday. They also raised some issues specific to their states.

Sitharaman exhorted the states to work together with the Centre, stating that while the Union government sets the direction of economic growth, it is for the states to ensure effective implementation on the ground.

Kerala FM Thomas Isaac said, “Achieving fiscal deficit targets is not