Responding to a query, Chidambaram said there will always be an unfinished agenda. “How can there be no unfinished agenda?” he asked. Though he did not elaborate, the Finance Ministry is yet to carry out reforms in the pension and banking regulations and bring out a direct tax code.

The other pending work of hiking FDI in private insurance to 49 per cent from 26 per cent has been approved by the Cabinet and the bill is expected to be introduced in this session of the Lok Sabha. To a query on the income tax code, he said the Central Board of Direct Taxes will release the discussion paper on the code at an appropriate time. The direct tax code will replace and simplify the over four-decade-old Income Tax Act, among other pieces of legislation. Chidambaram also said that he has spoken to World Bank President Robert B Zoellick for doubling lending to India to $6 billion. India is seeking more money from the World Bank to fight slowdown in capital inflows, and spur economic growth through investment in infrastructure. India has sought half of the additional amount by March-end and the remaining half by June next year, he added.