Economists bat for capex push, fiscal prudence and more jobs at pre-Budget meet

The focus on the quality of spending, sans mindless freebies, and steps to further curb inflationary pressure should continue, some of the economists told finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the customary pre-budget consultation, advising against reckless giveaways. Successful tackling of inflation, they said, would be the biggest pro-poor move. The Centre has increased its capex by 17-39% annually since FY22, way above the increase in revenue spending. The outlay of ₹11.11 lakh crore in the interim Budget for FY25 marks a 17% increase from the previous year.