BHOPAL: The budget session of Madhya Pradesh assembly is likely to be delayed by almost a fortnight owing to bypolls in Mungaoli and Kolaras.
Contrary to the earlier claims by the BJP government to prepone the date of state budget in view of the Union Budget on February 1, the state government is likely to present the budget in the second week of March. Being the last budget of the BJP government and 14th Assembly of Madhya Pradesh, the budget is likely to be populist with focus on promises in view of widespread agrarian distress. However, anticipating a clash of dates with the bypoll, an official notification of the budget session is yet to be released.
Sources in the assembly secretariat revealed that poll preparations for both assembly by-elections are over and the Election Commission is likely to declare the polling dates in a day or two.
The budget session would be planned after the declaration of bypoll dates so that ministers and MLAs who were engaged in campaigning for the elections could attend the session. "The budget session might be extended by a few days but it won't affect the working or delay the financial plan of the state government. The session would be month-long or more to give full time to legislators to discuss important public issues," said assembly principal secretary A P Singh.
During the previous financial year, the budget session notification was released on January 14 and the session was held from February 23 to April 1. On May 3, a special session of the House was called to clear the GST bill and then the Hoouse was adjourned. The budget was passed on March 1, said the officials.
This year during the budget session, the House will observe a weeklong holiday due to Holi festival which is likely to be celebrated on March 2. If poll dates are declared in the mid or last week of February, the session would be extended further from mid of March to May which could again put the government in dilemma as assembly elections are scheduled to be held in November, officials said. The delay in budget would result in delay in the execution of financial plans and allocation for development and welfare schemes, which the BJP government is unwilling to do, said sources.
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