Centre has stopped our Budget: Delhi Finance Minister in Assembly

Finance Minister of Delhi Kailash Gehlot giving the finishing touches to Delhi Budget during Budget Session of Delhi Vidhan Sabha, in New Delhi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

Finance Minister of Delhi Kailash Gahlot on March 21 accused the Central Government of stopping the Budget from being presented in the Assembly, amid a row between the Centre and the AAP dispensation in the national capital over the issue.

“Yesterday, the Central Government stopped our Budget from being presented. Everyone knew that the Budget was to be presented on March 21. It was on their list of businesses. On March 10, the Budget was sent to the MHA. 

“Yesterday, around 2 p.m. I learned that MHA has raised some queries. I talked to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Finance). I got the file from MHA at 6 p.m. and we sent it to L-G at 9 p.m. and around 10:30 p.m. the file came back. Elected government is not allowed to present Budget, there is nothing more unconstitutional,” he said. 

The presentation of the Delhi Government’s Budget for 2023-24, which was scheduled for Tuesday, has been put on hold with the Kejriwal dispensation and the Central Government trading charges over allocations under various heads.

Reports suggest that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stopped the Budget and will not be tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Assembly House, Mr. Gehlot further said that the file was sent to Principal Secretary (Finance) at night. “When I talked to him in the morning, he said that the reply was submitted to the MHA by email and physical file has also been submitted. 

“The letter from MHA was written at 5:30 p.m. on March 17, but the Finance Minister did not know that there was a letter from the MHA till 2 p.m. on March 20. There should be an investigation into this,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot added that it was the legal obligation of the Chief Secretary to bring the letter to the notice of the Finance Minister. “If work of Budget is stopped like this, then why was the government elected? Why is there a Cabinet? 

“What are the consequences of this? If Budget is not presented, then everyone’s salaries will stop. Nothing can be more unconstitutional than this. There should proper investigation on the facts I have kept before the House,” the Finance Minister said.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to “not stop Delhi’s Budget”

“This is the first in the last 75 years that a State’s Budget has been stalled. Why are you upset with Delhiites? Please don’t stall Delhi’s Budget. With folded hands, Delhiites urge you to pass their Budget,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.

(With PTI inputs)