The Puducherry Cabinet, which met on Friday evening, concluded without finalising the customary address of the Lieutenant Governor and draft of the budget speech. As soon as the Ministers, Secretaries gathered at the Cabinet room at the Legislative Assembly at around 6. 30 p.m, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy informed the members that the meeting could not proceed as the government was yet to get any communication from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on the status of the budget estimate prepared by the Finance Department.
Since the approval was not received, the agenda before the Cabinet could not be discussed, the Chief Minister informed the members. “The meeting lasted for just about ten minutes,” a senior official told The Hindu. A confidential note circulated by Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar on Thursday has included the Lt. Governor’s address and budget speech in the agenda.
“The Chief Minister has decided to convene the meeting of Council of Ministers ...on Friday at the Legislative Assembly to discuss the following items. Finalisation of Lt Governor’s speech for ensuing Assembly session and approval of draft of the budget speech 2020-21,” the note circulated among the members said.
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According to a government source, the meeting was convened anticipating approval for the budget estimate by Friday evening. The Assembly passed a vote on account of ₹2,042 crore on March 30 for a period of three months.
With the expenditure sanction given by the Assembly coming to an end on June 30, the government was mandated to present a full budget at least by the third week of this month to provide salary and to meet other financial commitments.
“We can wait for another two to three days for MHA approval or otherwise another vote on account has to be presented,” said a senior official.
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