Poor coordination in policy making: Congress slams govt ahead of Budget

'State governments will be anxiously awaiting what awaits them since the Finance Minister will be announcing the implementation of the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission,' Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday questioned whether the Budget numbers would undergo revisions very soon after they are unveiled, as the new GDP and Consumer Price Index (CPI) series are to be released just days after the Budget, and said it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, noted the Budget for 2026/27 will be presented on Sunday.

"State governments will be anxiously awaiting what awaits them since the Finance Minister will be announcing the implementation of the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission," he said in a post on X.

The Finance Commission is a body set up under Article 280 of the Constitution every five years (or earlier) to recommend the share of the states in the tax revenues collected by the Centre, the distribution of this share among the states, and special grants for five years, he said, adding that the 16th Finance Commission deals with the period 2026/27-2030/31.

"But there are two other concerns. First, many of the Budget's numbers will be expressed as a % of GDP. However, just twenty-six days later on Feb 27, 2026 the new and updated GDP series with 2022/23 as the base is scheduled to be released," Ramesh said.

Would the Budget numbers then undergo revisions very soon after they are unveiled on February 1, 2026, he said.

Second, the new CPI series with 2024 as the base is expected to be released on February 12, 2026, the Congress leader pointed out.

"It is being anticipated that the new series will see a sharp reduction in the share of food prices. If this were to be the case, there will be an impact on the Budget numbers," he said.

The Wholesale Price Index, too, is undergoing revision and presumably that will be made public in the next few months, Ramesh said. Either way, it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making, he added.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her record ninth Budget, including two interim budgets, on February 1.