FM's shortest budget speech ever

New Delhi : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented her sixth consecutive budget with a speech lasting 56 minutes, her shortest-ever.

Dressed in a turquoise-coloured embroidered Kantha silk saree, as Sitharaman delivered her speech it was lauded at regular intervals by the treasury benches -- her remarks on the presentation of the full budget by "our government" in July receiving the loudest cheer. The opposition members listened to Sitharaman's budget speech with rapt attention, barring some voices of disapproval to the minister's reference to her government returning to power after the Lok Sabha elections.

Sitharaman said besides delivering on high growth in terms of Gross Domestic Product, the Indian government is equally focused on a more comprehensive ‘GDP’ i.e. ‘Governance, Development and Performance’.

“With confidence arising from strong and exemplary track record of performance and progress earning ‘Sabka Vishwas’, the next five years will be years of unprecedented development, and golden moments to realise the dream of developed India @ 2047,” Sitharaman said.

“The trinity of demography, democracy and diversity backed by ‘Sabka Prayas’ has the potential to fulfill aspirations of every Indian,” the Finance Minister added.

Sitharaman said the Indian government, led by PM Modi, has provided transparent, accountable and people-centric trust-based administration with citizen first and minimum government and maximum governance approach.