The Union Budget 2023-24 has been prepared keeping growth in focus and also external economic challenges such as fuel prices, Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman said on Thursday. In an interactive session on the Budget, she said the focus was on the common man and weaker sections and to ensure that their businesses are supported, their education is supported, the opportunities which are available for them to skill themselves are also given enough provision. "The priority is to keep the growth momentum as it is and also to make sure that the further support measures for sustaining growth...And be conscious of the fact that challenges which are extraneous to India. External challenges will have to be kept in mind. We should be ready for any unpredictable events from outside of our border," she said when asked what the priorities were when the budget was given a final shape. Sitharaman said the budget was prepared keeping in view every section of the society including SC, ST, OBC and other backward classes.
More than 69.96 per cent voters cast their votes till 3 pm on Thursday in the Tripura Assembly polls which is in progress in all the 60 constituencies amid heavy security, election officials said.
Several incidents of violence, attacks and counter attacks were reported in the poll-bound bordering northeastern state.
At least 60 opposition party workers were injured when the ruling party workers attacked them in south, Gomati, Sepahijala and West Tripura districts.
The Income Tax department's 'survey' at the BBC office here continued for the third straight day on Thursday as officials gathered financial data from select staffers and made copies of electronic and paper data of the news organisation.
Voting for the 60-member Assembly in Tripura began at 7 am on Thursday amid tight security, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao. Altogether 28.13 voters are scheduled to exercise their franchise during the day in 3,337 polling stations of the northeastern state to determine the fate of 259 candidates, he said.
The Allahabad High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid for his remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday wrote to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and asked him to "cooperate" with the Centre in its "efforts" in increasing air connectivity by establishing airports in various parts of the state.
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