'The Budget is a meaningless exercise'

Bhupendra Dedhia owns a provision shop in the Lokhandwala area of Andheri in suburban Mumbai. He has been in the business for 18 years. He says: "The Budget has been a meaningless exercise. The prices always go up after the Budget. What good is the Budget, prices will go up even without it…"

However, he is hopeful this time around and feels some good might come out of this Budget as a new government is at the helm of affairs.

"The government keeps few promises it makes in the Budget. Hopefully the new government will be different."

And he were the nation's finance minister? He would "tailor the Budget to the people's needs and concentrate on the have-nots as the rich can look after themselves."

- As told to A Ganesh Nadar

Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar

Budget 2004-05: Complete Coverage