Arun Jaitley holds pre-Budget meeting with state finance ministers

The finance minister said suggestions made by the states/union territories and the memorandum submitted by them would be examined and considered while formulating Budget proposals.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday held pre-Budget consultations with his state counterparts during which they offered suggestions on various fiscal policy and budgetary measures.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley talks with Prakash Pant, finance minister of Uttarakhand, during a pre-Budget meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)

This is part of the customary pre-Budget consultation which the Union dinance minister holds with his state peers.

During the meeting, Jaitley said the suggestions made by the states/union territories (UTs) and the memorandum submitted by them would be duly examined and suitably considered while formulating the Budget proposals of 2018-19, taking into consideration the spirit of cooperative federalism.

The meeting was attended by the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry, the deputy chief ministers of Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Manipur and Tamil Nadu, 14 finance ministers/ministers representing their states, among others.

The Union Budget for 2018-19 will be presented in Parliament on February 1.