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Improper to present full budget: Yashwant Sinha

Mr Sinha had said there is no precedence of an outgoing government doing so.

New Delhi: The finance ministry on Wednesday clarified that the forthcoming national budget will be an “Interim Budget”.

The main Opposition party, the Congress, had said it would strongly oppose the presentation of a “full budget” by the BJP-led NDA government as it has “no electoral legitimacy” and would go against set precedents and Parliamentary traditions.

Ex-finance minister Yashwant Sinha had also said that it would be “entirely improper and unconstitutional” if the government presents a full budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Sinha had said there is no precedence of an outgoing government doing so.

“It would be entirely improper and unconstitutional on the part of this government to present a full budget,” he said, adding that the government should not table the Economic Survey, which is generally presented a day before the budget, nor present the Finance Bill.

Last week, railway minister Goyal was given additional charge of the finance ministry as Arun Jaitley was in the United States for medical treatment. Mr Jaitley as the Finance Minister has presented five Budgets.

It is usual practice that a Vote on Account, or approval for essential government spending for a limited period, is taken in an election year and a full-fledged Budget presented by the new government.

There was speculation in political circles that going against tradition, the Modi government may present a full-fledged Budget on Friday.

The Budget is widely expected to contain concessions for farmers and the middle class with Lok Sabha elections in April-May. “This Budget will be called Interim Budget 2019-20,” said a finance ministry official.

This last Budget of the present National Democratic Alliance government is likely to be presented by interim finance minister Piyush Goyal.

Last week, railway minister Goyal was given additional charge of the finance ministry as Arun Jaitley was in the US for medical treatment.

P. Chidambaram had presented the previous UPA government’s Vote on Account in February 2014, with Arun Jaitley presenting the full Budget in July that year.

The Narendra Modi-led government had scrapped a colonial-era tradition of presenting the Budget at the end of February.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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