Pranab cautious on budget delay reports
December 25th, 2011 - 11:45 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS) As speculation over the delay in the presentation of the union budget due to assembly elections in five states made the rounds, union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday chose to sidestep the issue.
“Normally, the day of presentation of budget is the last working day of the month of February. And as this year is a leap year so it will be 29th. And I think all the elections will be over before that except Goa,” said Mukherjee while talking to reporters in Kolkata.
Asked whether it meant there will be no delay in budget presentation, Mukherjee said: “No, I am not saying any such thing. When the date will be fixed, then I will let you know.”
Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi Saturday announced the poll dates for Manipur, Punjab Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Goa and said the model code of conduct would be applicable with “immediate effect from now”.
The code, announced to prevent governments from giving out sops to the electorate, remains operational till the election process is completed, which is March 9 in this case.
Asked about the poll schedule clashing with the presentation of the budget, Quraishi said: “The government will have to take care of it.”
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- Five states to go to polls January-March (Second Lead) - Dec 24, 2011
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- Budget after March 9, dates not finalised: Pranab - Jan 04, 2012
- Sonia Gandhi says polls in Goa within couple of months - Dec 17, 2011
- Cricket first, poll meet with PM later! - Feb 02, 2012
- Union budget likely to be presented in mid-March: Mukherjee - Jan 25, 2012
- Five states to see elections in January-March (Lead) - Dec 24, 2011
- Quraishi wants severe fines for model code violation - Mar 04, 2012
- Team Anna's conduct will be monitored: Quraishi - Dec 25, 2011
- Voters are winners in state elections: Quraishi - Mar 06, 2012
- Take action against Khurshid, BJP tells poll panel - Jan 10, 2012
- Helpless about spending before poll dates announced: EC - Aug 24, 2011
- Don't dare to ignore poll panel's directives, Goa warned - Feb 02, 2012
Tags: assembly elections, budget delay, budget presentation, chief election commissioner, code of conduct, dec 25, electorate, goa, governments, leap year, model code, poll schedule, pranab mukherjee, punjab, quraishi, sops, speculation, union budget, union finance minister, uttar pradesh