Delhi Assembly budget session was extended till the first week of March, with Finance Minister Atishi citing a delay in budget finalisation due to certain reasons and sending it for approval to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday.
The proposal was passed by the assembly, with the opposition BJP MLAs questioning the reasons behind the delay.
This is likely to be the longest assembly session under the AAP government’s regime, according to officials.
“There have been some delays in budget finalisation due to some reasons. We received approval for the budget from the Delhi Lt Governor yesterday. It has been sent for approval by the MHA today. The approval from the MHA and the presidential assent will take at least 10 to 15 days. It is not possible for us to present the budget before February 25. I request that the budget session be extended till the first week of March,” she said in the House.
The BJP MLAs questioned the delay, in response to which Atishi said, “It is a delay on our part. We are not levelling allegations against anyone.”
She requested Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel to extend the budget session until the first week of March because there will also be some discussion in the House a few days after the budget presentation.
“I hope the Delhi budget will be presented either in the last week of February or in the first week of March,” she said.
The budget session of the assembly commenced on February 15 and was supposed to end on February 21.
Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri accused the AAP government of making an important document like the budget a “victim of mockery and politics.”.
