Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to present General Budget in Parliament today

The nation's eyes will be trained on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who will present the General Budget for the year 2016-17 in Parliament today.

The Finance Minister has a herculean task of balancing the needs of agriculture as well as the industry as the Modi-Government seeks to garner resources to boost public spending for higher growth amid global headwinds.

Rising rural distress because of back-to-back droughts has put considerable pressure on the Finance Minister to spend more on social schemes, while at the same time he has to win back foreign investors craving for faster reforms.

Ahead of the announcement of the 2016 Annual Budget today, Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Jayant Sinha said, that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a wholesome Budget had been formed, keeping the suggestions of everyone in mind.

"The Prime Minister has given us the guidance that when faced with a test, we must be fully prepared and rest. At 11:00 clock you will see what the Budget has to offer. We have really worked hard for this and prepared a lot. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, we have been working in the service of the people," Sinha told the media here.

Asserting that the Budget was a test in itself for the Centre, he added that the nation will be grading them as the Budget unfolded.

Sinha also said that there are unique circumstances in every Budget and it would not be prudent to compare them.

"We have taken everyone's opinion and advice into consideration in forming the Budget. There are many challenges and we have tried to that keep everything in balance, so we can help the nation," he added.

Prime Minister Modi said yesterday in his Mann ki Baat address that the Budget is his exam and that 125 crore Indians will be testing him.

"I am healthy and full of self-confidence. Let us hope my exams that start tomorrow and yours the day after are good. If we succeed, the country will succeed," he said.

Meanwhile Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reached the North Block from where he will head to meet President Pranab Mukherjee before announcing the Annual Budget in the Parliament.

The Finance Minister has a herculean task of balancing the needs of agriculture as well as the industry as the Modi-Government seeks to garner resources to boost public spending for higher growth amid global headwinds.

(ANI)