Mail Today Business Editor R. Srinivasan on Union Budget 2011-12

The finance minister has played true toform, sticking to the rule book and his party's core political interests informulating his Budget . In the backdrop of concerns over high prices, risingscams, a growing governance deficit and worries over fragilities in growth,there were hopes for some radical measures to tackle these issues.

This was not in evidence in the proposals,which substantially hiked spending on the UPA's pet schemes for the poor .Themiddle class urban Indian has got very little - a nominal sop on income tax,which should increase the average tax payer's take home by around Rs 2,000 permonth.

The tax proposals were clearly designed tolink with the introduction of the new Direct Taxes Code from the next financialyear, as well as the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. Reforms remaina promise for the future while no substantive measure on black money was seen.Overall, a workman-like but uninspiring Budget.