Nirmala Sitharaman to brief BJP MPs on budget high points

Ministers will then start on an outreach programme to spread the word in States

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman will brief BJP MPs on the important points of the Union Budget on Friday, February 3, 2023, morning, after which the party will undertake an all-India outreach programme.

Sources confirmed that the briefing will be held ahead of the Parliament sitting on Friday. BJP president J. P. Nadda had earlier set up an eight member committee for a “Budget par charcha” programme, to be headed by former Finance Minister of Bihar and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi.

The outreach programme will be rolled out over the weekend (February 4 and 5) across India to bring to the fore what the budget means for each and every citizen. “During this programme, Union Ministers will hold a press conference on the Budget and at the same time interact with people across strata, including prominent citizens and intellectuals,” sources said.

As per the sources, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur will go to Jammu, Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy to Kochi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology Rajeev B. Chandrashekar will go to Coimbatore, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal will travel to Raipur, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will travel to Bhopal and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will go to Bengaluru. The programmes for other Ministers are also being firmed up. Meetings and press conferences will be held in all State capitals and 50 other spots.

The Budget presented on Wednesday is the last by the BJP-led NDA government before the 2024 general elections next year, and thus has significant political and economic ramifications.