New Delhi: The national capital will not be tabling its Budget on Tuesday, amid a fresh standoff between the Kejriwal government and the Centre. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the central government is resorting to 'gundagardi' (hooliganism) by putting on hold the presentation of the Delhi government's budget for 2023-24 in the Assembly.
This is for the first time in the history of the country that a budget of a government has been put on hold. A video clip of the AAP supremo's speech was tweeted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
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BIG BREAKING‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 20, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
दिल्ली में कल बजट पेश नहीं होगा।
भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार ऐसा हुआ है कि कल Delhi Govt का Budget पेश होना था और आज शाम को केंद्र सरकार ने बजट पर रोक लगा दी है।
सीधे-सीधे गुंडागर्दी चल रही है।
-CM @ArvindKejriwal #News18IndiaChaupal pic.twitter.com/lQnA8z4ukD
">BIG BREAKING‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 20, 2023
दिल्ली में कल बजट पेश नहीं होगा।
भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार ऐसा हुआ है कि कल Delhi Govt का Budget पेश होना था और आज शाम को केंद्र सरकार ने बजट पर रोक लगा दी है।
सीधे-सीधे गुंडागर्दी चल रही है।
-CM @ArvindKejriwal #News18IndiaChaupal pic.twitter.com/lQnA8z4ukDBIG BREAKING‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 20, 2023
दिल्ली में कल बजट पेश नहीं होगा।
भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार ऐसा हुआ है कि कल Delhi Govt का Budget पेश होना था और आज शाम को केंद्र सरकार ने बजट पर रोक लगा दी है।
सीधे-सीधे गुंडागर्दी चल रही है।
-CM @ArvindKejriwal #News18IndiaChaupal pic.twitter.com/lQnA8z4ukD
Responding to the Chief Minister's outburst on the decision, the MHA said the ministry has sought clarification from the AAP government as its budget proposal had a high allocation for advertisement and relatively low funding for infrastructure and other development initiatives. "The AAP government has so far not responded to our queries," one of the MHA sources said.
AAP government sources denied the charges as lies. The total budget size was Rs 78,800 crore, out of which 22,000 crore was earmarked for expenditure on infrastructure and just Rs 550 crore on advertisements, they claimed. The allocation for advertisement was the same as in last year's budget, they said.
The CM's announcement and the reaction of the ministry hinted at a fresh round of confrontation between the AAP dispensation and the Union government. The sources in the Delhi government also confirmed that the budget will not be tabled on Tuesday as planned.
According to sources in the lieutenant governor's office, the LG approved the Annual Financial Statement for 2023-2024, with certain observations on March 9, and sent the file to the chief minister. The Government of Delhi, thereafter, sought the approval of the President as mandated by law by sending a letter to the Home Ministry.
The Home Ministry conveyed its observations to the Delhi government on March 17. The LG office is awaiting the file to be sent to it from the chief minister. There was no clarity yet on when the budget will be presented in the Assembly. The ongoing budget session of the Assembly is scheduled to conclude on March 23.
Finance minister Kailash Gahlot on Monday tabled an outcome budget of the Kejriwal government and also tabled the economic survey, 2022-23, report in the ongoing budget session of the Delhi Assembly. Earlier in the day, the Assembly was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday. (With Agency Inputs)
