Poll panel gets response from Cabinet Secretary on Budget

The Poll panel on Tuesday received the response from the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha over the postponement of the Budget presentation date.
Opposition leaders after a meeting with the Election Commission seeking postponement of the Union Budget in view of the Assembly polls in five states, in New Delhi on Thursday | shekhar yadav
Opposition leaders after a meeting with the Election Commission seeking postponement of the Union Budget in view of the Assembly polls in five states, in New Delhi on Thursday | shekhar yadav

NEW DELHI: The Poll panel on Tuesday received the response from the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha over the postponement of the Budget presentation date. It had sought the Centre's reply on the Opposition's plea to postpone the Budget presentation date, as per normal procedure.

The EC had written to the government following representations from many political parties that wanted the budget presentation postponed because of the assembly elections. The commission had given the government time till January 10 to respond. 

The government decided to advance the presentation of the budget and its passage to ensure spending starts from beginning of the financial year. 

The budget is usually presented on the last working day of February. As a result, the approval of the budget spills over to the next financial year, delaying the start of new programmes.

The government has been insisting that this has been done keeping in mind all the rules and norms. Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu recently termed the demand to defer the Budget Session as anti-people. He said the Union Budget is for the country and would not be state specific.

“No budget means no development, no welfare. Is this what you want? And no support to poor people, no support to farmers, is that what your wish is? Why are you opposing? Budget is budget," the union minister had said.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the Budget session will commence on January 31 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1 so that the new provisions come into force from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal.

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