With this mission in mind finance ministry is likely to present the proposal to the Cabinet, when it meets next week. The proposal is to advance the budget presentation by a month to the last week of January from next year, move to “outcome-based budgeting” and merge the rail budget with it. “The PM has given a go-ahead to the proposals and finance ministry will get it cleared by the Cabinet at the earliest,” said an official in the finance ministry who did not wish to be quoted. Discarding the rail budget is a politically sensitive issue. Apart from the cabinet nod, the move to advance the budget and merge the rail budget will require bi-partisan political support as it will involve changes in Parliament sessions.

Source: Hindustan Times September 15, 2016 11:03 UTC