Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is presenting the interim budget in the Lok Sabha today. It is a vote-on-account authorizing the government to carry out expenditure on different heads till a regular budget is presented.

Ahead of the beginning of the parliament session early this month, Chidambaram had said that the government would tinker only in areas that are essential to revive the economic growth which might likely include some changes in excise and service taxes in the interim budget.