New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee believes three is his lucky number. In the 2011-12 budget he presented Monday, for all new initiatives the money allocated started with the figure three.
‘Honourable members must be wondering why all new projects have been allocated Rs.300 crore. It is because number three is lucky for me,’ he said with a smile on his face, making even opposition members laugh.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who was listening to the budget speech intently, also broke into a smile.
Mukherjee announced several new initiatives either worth Rs.300 crore or Rs.30,000 crore.
This is the sixth such exercise for the 75-year-old political veteran.
He tabled three budgets between 1982 and 1984. The one tabled Monday was the third successive for the United Progressive Alliance II government.
–Indo-ASian News Service
kbd/pg/vt
