New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) reacting to reports that the NDA Government plans to present a full-fledged budget, and not a vote on account, during the forthcoming budget session, the Congress on Thursday said it would amount to undermining of Parliament and warned that any such attempt would be strongly opposed inside as well as outside Parliament.
Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari said, "if reports in public space are to be believed, the NDA Government is planning to present a full-fledged budget on February 1. If this happens, it would be a flagrant violation of the Parliamentary conventions prevalent since the Constitution came into effect."
"This would amount to a complete undermining of Parliament, which is a temple of Democracy. The Congress strongly demands that the NDA Government follow Constitutional propriety and only present a vote on account on February 1 and does not present a full-fledged budget. If it happens, it would be strongly opposed on the floor of the house and outside.’’
Contending that the NDA Government did not have the mandate and electoral legitimacy to present six full-fledged budgets in five years, Mr Tewari said, "since this government assumed power on may 26, 2014, it presented the budget for 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Thus, the NDA Government has already presented five full-fledged union budgets.
The Financial year 2019-20 begins on April 1, 2019 and ends on march 31, 2020. The term of this government will end on may 26, 2019. A government which is going to remain in office for 56 days from April 1, 2019 cannot have the legitimacy to present the budget for 365 days.’’
He said that as per the laid down provisions, when the budget is presented it goes to the department related standing committees for scrutiny which report back to Parliament and only after that the Finance Bill is passed.
"Whenever a budget is presented, the government also presents a vote on account to account for the expenditure for the period which takes the Bill to be passed,’’he said.
He hoped that in its last lap, the government would listen to wise counsel and not undermine established institutions.
The comments come in the wake of reports that the NDA Government could announce some populist measures in the vote on account to be presented on February 1 during the Budget session.
UNI AR SNU 1809