From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI
In the firstever paperless budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Tuesday used her smartphone to read out her 90 minutes of the budget speech, pausing repeatedly to change the text on the screen.
Ensuring that the smartphone does not conk off in the middle of the budget presentation, she had connected it with a charger. This was her fourth budget as the finance minister.
Sitharaman was, however, forced to discard her smartphone to present the Finance Bill only on paper, detailing the changes in the taxes and duties, as part of the budget submitted after finishing the budget speech. She also opted for paper in making a statement on medium-term fiscal policy.
She also reverted to a sheet of paper to announce the highest receipt of the GST (goods and services tax) that she could not incorporate in her budget speech.
Prime Minister Modi sat through the budget speech, thumping the desk with the ruling members and ministers throughout on the points the finance minister made.
