From correspondents in Delhi, India, 06:01 PM IST

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a national budget that reflects the schemes and promises outlined for his government in President Pratibha Patil's address to parliament Thursday.

This message has been conveyed to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is slated to present the national budget for the current fiscal next month, said officials in the Prime Minister's Office.

A new push to attract overseas investments, divestment of equity in state-run companies, financial sector reforms and specific measures for small units, exporters, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure and housing were among the priorities listed by the president.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the address said, would also seek to recast the subsidy regime so that it benefits only the needy and push for pubic-private partnerships in infrastructure, even while ensuring prudent fiscal management.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)