Updated on Thursday, July 02, 2009, 17:28 IST

New Delhi, July 02: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the monsoon would be normal and with luck the country could surpass the GDP growth target of about 7 per cent.

"I do hope there will be recovery and it will be possible to achieve the target. It may be, if luck favours, we will surpass (the GDP target)," Mukherjee told reporters when asked whether it would be possible to achieve 7 per cent growth in view of poor monsoon.

The Economic Survey tabled by the government in Parliament today said the economy could expand by 7 per cent (plus/minus 0.75 percentage point) provided the monsoon turns out to be normal.

On the possibility of monsoon remaining below normal, he said, "It's not correct that monsoon has not come. Monsoon would be normal, we are expecting so and the meteorological forecast is also there."

Bureau Report