On January 5, a delegation of the Opposition parties had petitioned the Election Commission seeking a recommendation to the Centre to defer the Budget presentation.
The Commission sought a response, in which the government defended its decision to present the Budget on February 1 stating that it was an annual constitutional exercise with respect to all the States.
The government also justified the decision to advance the date of presentation stating that this would ensure that budgetary allocations were made available for expeditious implementation of the projects.
The Election Commission has asked the Centre to ensure that no schemes specific to the five election-bound States were announced in the Union Budget in the interest of fair polls. “It may be ensured that in the budget, the government’s achievements in respect of the five States… will not be highlighted,” the EC order said.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:oneindia.com)
