VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet, which will meet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Secretariat on Friday, is expected to give its nod to an ordinance to meet the expenditure in the initial months of the new financial year starting from April 1.
After the approval of the Council of Ministers, the Ordinance would be sent to Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan for promulgation.
As only five days left for the commencement of the new fiscal, there is no possibility for conducting the Session of the AP Legislature to pass the appropriation bill.
Thus, the government left with two options — pass the vote-on-account budget or to go for an ordinance.
Though at one point of time, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced to conduct the Assembly at least for some days, but in wake of the lockdown being implemented across the nation and in view of stress on maintaining social distance, the government has withdrawn the proposal.
Sources said that as the chances of conducting the budget session even for a single day for passage of the vote-on-account are bleak in view of Coronavirus threat, the government decided to go for an ordinance by convening the Cabinet meeting.
“There are instances of passage of the vote-on-account on several occasions when there was no time to convene Budget Session. But in extraordinary conditions when the circumstances do not permit even to conduct the Assembly even for one day for passing the vote-on-account, the government will have no other option but to go for an ordinance to meet the expenditure in the first one to three months of new fiscal,’’ an official told TNIE.