Gahlot takes charge of eight portfolios vacated by Sisodia

Erstwhile deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest was seen to have dealt a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s efforts to finalise the Budget for the upcoming financial year

Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot took over on Thursday eight more ministerial portfolios, including finance, which was held by the erstwhile deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia till he resigned following his arrest over allegations related to the 2021-22 excise policy.

Kailash Gahlot at a meeting on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Sisodia’s arrest was seen to have dealt a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s efforts to finalise the Budget for the upcoming financial year. While Gahlot now heads the ministry, it was not immediately confirmed whether or when he will present the fiscal plan, an exercise usually done in the in late February or early March every year.

“We are working on a war footing to present a citizen-centric and progressive Budget. I would like to assure Delhi residents that the upcoming Budget will prove to be a milestone in achieving the goals of making Delhi a world-class city for its citizens,” the minister said.

Sisodia held 18 portfolios, of which eight -- finance, planning, Public Works Department (PWD), power, home, urban development, irrigation, and the flood control and water – will now be with Gahlot.

Prior to his arrest on Tuesday, Sisodia held a series of meeting with the stakeholders for Budget preparations – the minister also sought and received a five-day extension for questioning from the Central Bureau of Investigation over this work.

Gahlot, who has held the key portfolios of revenue, transport and law in the Arvind Kejriwal government prior to being given these additional assignments, carried out a review with the ministries that he will now handle on Thursday. “We will take forward the good works done in various fields by this government in the last eight years. Presenting a people-friendly Budget is our priority and we are working towards it,” he told reporters afterwards.

An official said that Gahlot held a series of meetings with the secretaries from the power, finance and planning departments, along with the excise department commissioner. “The minister also discussed the preparation of the Budget with the officials and asked them to ensure pending works are completed on time,” the official said.

Every year, the state government is expected to send its final Budget proposals to the Centre for approval before it can be presented before the Delhi assembly.

A second government official, who asked not to be named, said that while Budget preparations will continue, it was still not clear who will present it in the assembly.

On Wednesday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recommended to lieutenant governor VK Saxena the names of AAP legislators Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj for their inclusion in the Delhi cabinet.

“It is not clear how the portfolios will be reshuffled after the induction of the two new minsters,” the official said.

The former deputy CM held the excise policy and has been accused, along with others, of making changes to it in a way that it benefited certain companies and individuals for alleged kickbacks. Sisodia and his colleagues have denied the allegations, calling it a political conspiracy.