Bengaluru: For the first time, differences between the top leaders of the coalition partners have come to the fore on the tabling of a new full-fledged Budget for 2018-19.
Co-ordination Committee Chairman and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah yesterday said that there was no need for a fresh Budget and a supplementary Budget would do. Rejecting the suggestion outright, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy asserted that a fresh one was needed to demonstrate the direction of the new government.
Kumaraswamy reminded Siddharamaiah, “Prior to elections, you (Siddharamaiah) stated that you may have to present a new budget even if your own party comes to power. I clearly remember what you had stated.” Strongly pushing for a new Budget, Kumaraswamy said he would meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi to sort out the issue soon.
The former Chief Minister said before he laid down his office, his government had presented a full budget on Feb. 16, 2018 and sought a vote on account for three months. The coalition government would continue the programmes of the previous Congress government as well as the new proposals mentioned in his last Budget for 2018-19, he said. Kumaraswamy could add new programmes in the supplementary budget, he said.
Siddharamaiah said, “Article 205 of the Constitution provides for Supplementary Budget. As a Finance Minister, if you want to add any new programme, you can do it through Supplementary Budget and provide funds for such programmes. If a full-fledged Budget is presented again, what is the need for having a provision for Supplementary Budget?”
Reacting to Siddharamaiah’s suggestion, Kumaraswamy said, “Whenever a new government comes to power, it needs to demonstrate what its goals are. We cannot limit ourselves to presenting Supplementary Budget because there are many challenges before the government.”
“The next session will be convened in the first week of next month, during which we plan to present the Budget. The Congress and the JD(S) made several promises incorporating new programmes. A Supplementary Budget would not suffice to incorporate them all,” the CM said.
In yet another sign of birth pangs in their coalition, Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka on Saturday differed on the tabling of a new full-fledged budget for 2018-19.
While the Congress said there was no need for a fresh budget and insisted that a supplementary budget would do, JD(S) asserted that a fresh one was needed to demonstrate the direction of the new government.
Strongly pushing for a new budget, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said he would meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi to sort out the issue soon.
Former chief minister and chairman of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee
Siddaramaiahexpressed his strong reservations over presenting a new full-fledged budget, saying there was no need for such an exercise.
Siddaramaiah, who is also the Congress Legislature Party leader, said he had already tabled the budget as chief minister a few months ago.
“Budget has already been tabled. It is a full-fledged budget only. That’s why we had taken vote on accounts for fourmonths. It will be there till July end. All the ongoing programmes and new programmes announced in the budget will continue,” said Siddaramaiah.
He advised Kumaraswamy that if he wants to carry out certain projects and launch some schemes, he can bring out a supplementary budget.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah’s ‘suggestion’, Kumaraswamy told reporters in Delhi that the new government has to demonstrate its objectives to the people.
“Whenever a new government comes to power, it needs to demonstrate what its goals are. We cannot limit ourselves to presenting supplementary budget because there are many challenges before the government.”
He also said the Congress as well as the JD(S) made several promises incorporating new programmes.
“A supplementary budget would not suffice to incorporate them all,” he said.
Kumaraswamy reminded Siddaramaiah about his statement in the past that if a new government takes over after the election, a new budget may be presented.
“Today Janata Dal (S) and Congress have formed a coalition government. Usually when a new government comes to power, its duty is to present the best budget and send our message to people through it,” the chief minister said.
It is better for HDK and Congress to first have a discussion internally before giving statements to the press. I think they need to be more structured in their functioning since giving statements without prior discussion or understanding can completely back fire and misunderstanding. I am not discussing about whether they have the ability to provide a clean governance. but regardless of the party that in power, they should stop talking to media unless they have first discussed it internally. Time to be more matured politicians.
This is no concern at all especially when both parties are corrupt! Kumraswamy can negotiate and say, we will make sure you pocket will not be impacted and you will get your share of loot if you agree with our idea and 3verybody will have a photo opportunity about how the resolved the disputes to serve(aka loot) the nation