It's not priority of govt to monitor consumption: Finance secretary

He says why the Budget numbers are realistic and speaks of the evolving approach of the government towards disinvestment, welfare schemes, and capital expenditure

Finance and Expenditure Secretary T V Somanathan, in a free-wheeling conversation with Ruchika Chitravanshi and Asit Ranjan Mishra, says why the Budget numbers are realistic and speaks of the evolving approach of the government towards disinvestment, welfare schemes, and capital expenditure. Edited excerpts:

What are the broad principles that guided the thinking behind the Interim Budget?

A combination of retaining growth impulses, working towards the long-term objective of a developed India by 2047, and maintaining a prudent fiscal path -- these were three main considerations.

You have lowered the fiscal-deficit target for FY24 to 5.8 per cent from the 5.9