Delhi budget being stalled despite MHA approval: LG

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena, in the letter, urged Kejriwal to get the process expedited as it has been pending with the Delhi government since February 19

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Saturday wrote to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal flagging a “delay for no apparent reason at the level of the Delhi government” in presenting the annual budget for 2024-25 in the Delhi assembly, adding that the budget has been cleared by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), according to documents seen by HT.

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Saxena, in the letter, urged Kejriwal to get the process expedited as it has been pending with the Delhi government since February 19.

“I am constrained to bring to your notice that despite the annual financial statement being ready and available with the government, after due clearance of Government of India, since as long as 19.02.2024, it is yet to reach me for causing it to be laid in the House as per law established,” LG said in the letter.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government conceded that it received the MHA approval around February 20 and the document is now en route to the LG office for his approval to table it.

On February 15 when the budget session of the Delhi assembly began, finance minister Atishi informed the House that the presentation of the annual budget for the Capital would be delayed because the preparation of the budget had been delayed due to reasons on the part of the Delhi government. It was sent to MHA on February 15 for approval.

Since Delhi is a Union territory, the Delhi government needs approval from the Centre before it can be presented in the assembly.

The budget session was extended after a request from Atishi till the first week of March to accommodate the delay and allow a discussion on the budget before its passage.

LG said the central government cleared the Delhi budget within three working days after it was sent for approval on February 15. “It will be pertinent to mention here that the Cabinet’s decision to summon the House for Budget Session between 15.02.2024 and 21.02.2024 was taken on 31.01.2024. It was sent to me on 02.02.2024... orders of summoning were issued by me on 06.02.2024.

Subsequently, the Annual Financial Statement (Budget) was received by my Secretariat on 13.02.2024 and the same was cleared for further approval by the President... on 14.02.2024. It was then sent to MHA... on 15.02.2024 following which the Government of India conveyed its approval on 19.02.2024, within 3 working days. Thereafter, the process seems to have been stalled for no apparent reason at the level of GNCTD,” LG said in the letter.

The LG said that the Delhi budget should be laid, discussed and passed in the Assembly at the earliest and requested the chief minister to expedite the process. “You are accordingly requested to get the process expedited and utilize the Budget Session for what it was summoned for in the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance,” said the LG in the letter.

Delhi government said: “The budget was received by the finance minister Atishi, with the presidential nod, around February 20. It is now en-route to the LG office, for his approval for tabling it before the assembly. The budget is a financial document of utmost importance for the entire financial year 2024-25, so due diligence at the micro level is required, and this takes time.”

On February 15 the budget session began with the address of the LG who outlined the government’s policies, and programmes.

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, said Delhi’s annual budget presentation has been unnecessarily delayed. “Eight sittings have been held so far, but there is no sign of Delhi’s budget. It is clear from Kejriwal does not want to appear before the ED for the investigation of the liquor scam and is presenting the budget session as an excuse. When the budget was approved by the President on February 19, then why it has not been presented? It indicates the government is deliberately delaying the budget,” Bidhuri said.