Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi addresses a pre-budget meeting at the Old Secretariat in Patna on Monday. Modi said the government would soon start the process to solicit suggestions from the common man for the preparation of the 2012-13 budget. The suggestions could be received online or through post. “This (the budget making process) would no longer be confined to some officials. We have decided to make the common people a part of the state’s budget making process. For the first time, we would invite suggestions from people who can send their views by posts or even online,” the minister said. Modi, who also holds the finance portfolio, interacted with the representatives of trade and industry on tax issues during the meet, an exercise being carried out for the past six years. Stating that the government has not earmarked any particular site, Modi said the government would designate the site of a department, probably of finance, besides issuing advertisements for accepting suggestions through post. Modi said a round of meeting with industry representatives would be held on January 19 to give them a hearing on issues concerning them. There would be another set of meeting with intellectuals, doctors, professors, engineers and others, the date for which has not yet been specified. The deputy chief minister, however, made it clear that there would be no meeting with farmers this year as a meet with cultivators is scheduled in the first week of February. Modi added that suggestions received from that meeting would be incorporated in the budget. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh, text by Anand Raj