Budget after state polls, says Pranab

The Union Budget will be presented after the completion of elections in five states, but the government has not yet decided the final date of presentation, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said today.

The Union Budget will be presented after the completion of elections in five states, but the government has not yet decided the final date of presentation, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday.

"We have not yet decided the time (for the Budget), but naturally it will be after the elections," Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi.

He was replying to a query on the likely date for presentation of the Budget.

The announcement of the assembly election schedule in five states between January 30 and March 3 has raised the possibility of rescheduling of the Budget for 2012-13 this year.

As per the schedule worked out by the Election Commission, last polling will take place on March 3 in Goa and counting of votes will begin on March 4.

The general budget is usually presented on the last day of February every year.

Mukherjee will hold brainstorming sessions with various stakeholders during his annual pre-budget meetings beginning January 11.

The first meeting would be held with agriculturalists, followed by a series of interactions with sectoral experts, representatives, industry captains and economists over the next ten days to get their feedback and inputs for incorporating them in Budget 2012-13.