High PSF provision in Budget 2024 revives buzz about merger with PSS

But PM-AASHA allocation indicates otherwise

A concern ahead of the Union budget for 2024-25 (FY25), presented on July 23, was whether it would have enough to tackle the vexatious issue of food inflation. 
 

Admittedly, inflation management is a combination of several factors, and the Budget is just one of the instruments. However, the annual financial statement of the Union government does indicate how it sees the problem and how it plans to address it.

Within the inflation basket, food has been stubbornly high for a year, which has been 
 

attributed to low and inadequate monsoon in 2023 followed by weak post-monsoon showers due