It Went Through — Budget 2004

A blocked nose and bad cold ridden throat could not keep away Finance Minister K N Choksy, adorned in a blue checkered tie, from walking down the pink carpeted parliament aisles with the budget tucked away in a wood finished briefcase in one hand to come present the 2004 fiscal plan on a rained out Wednesday at 2.29 pm.
However, his sniffling throughout his speech kept opposition MPs tickled, calling out to the poor Finance Minister, asking him not to cry, that everything was ok.











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rnIn-between his sniffling and hurried gulps of mineral water, Choksy coughed out a flood of concessions, shrewdly set off by renewed capital spending and longer tax reach. rn

rnIdeally, the Minister would have spilled the goodies wrapped up as the UNFs budget for 2004 exactly a week ago, on November 12, only if not for the Presidents strategically timed missile earlier in the month, to grab three key portfolios for herself.rn

rnParliament was re-convened on Wednesday after the Presidential dose of lquote shock prorog