New Delhi: Prime minister Manmohan Singh yesterday said the union budget focuses on acceleration of growth by giving a boost to agriculture and industrial sectors. "A meaningful solution to the problem of mass poverty, ignorance and diseases afflicting millions of people can be found in the framework of rapidly expanding economy," he told newspersons.

Singh said the decision to raise the income tax exemption limit would benefit more than one crore people. The prime minister said there should be no fear on the inflation front as the government would take steps towards "fiscal rectitude" and consolidation