"This year is very important for the Finance Ministry as CAG has completed 150 years. I have received a request to celebrate this occasion by issue of a coin," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Rajya Sabha today.
Also, it would be 150 years since Indians started paying income tax. The Income Tax Act, 1861 was originally framed by James Wilson. Initially, the tax was imposed for five years ...but continues till date, he said.
As Mukherjee talked about celebrations of 150 years of CAG, there was a laughter in the Opposition benches which have been trying to corner the government over CAG reports on 2G spectrum allocation and Commonwealth Games.
The Finance Minister looked rather amused. "I will ask them to mint more coins...you can buy," he said.
He made these remarks while replying to a debate on the Coinage Bill, 2009 which repeals four earlier Acts, including that of Metal Tokens Act of 1889, combining them into one.
Published 11 August 2011, 12:25 IST