GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st March. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government to resubmit the Budget addressing these concerns after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena raised administrative concerns about the proposed Budget regarding fiscal interest.
The reply from the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is awaited for the last four days, said the MHA.
According to the MHA statement, the Annual Financial Statement (Budget) for the year 2023-23 and the second and last batch of Supplementary Demands for the year 2022-23 was received in the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the provisions of Section 27(1) and Section 30(1) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 for the previous sanction of the President of India for laying it before the Legislative Assembly of Delhi.
“The Lieutenant Governor, Delhi, had raised certain concerns of administrative nature on the proposed Budget, keeping in view the fiscal interest of the National Capital Territory on which MHA vide its letter dated March 17, 2023 has requested GNCTD to resubmit the Budget addressing these concerns for taking further action. The reply from GNCTD is awaited for last four days,” read the MHA statement.
For the benefit of the people of Delhi, the Delhi government should submit the reply immediately, said the Union Home Ministry.
The Centre and the Kejriwal government in Delhi have been at odds on a number of issues, and the Aam Aadmi Party claimed on Monday that the Ministry of Home Affairs stalled the government’s Budget 2023-24, which was scheduled to be presented in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday.
However, sources in the Home Ministry denied the allegations, saying that the MHA had instead sought clarification from the Delhi government because its budget allocation was focused on advertising rather than infrastructure.
In response to the MHA’s point, the Delhi government stated that the budget allocation for advertising has not been increased this year.
“MHA is lying. The total budget of Delhi is ₹ 78,800 crores. Out of this, ₹ 22,000 crores are for infrastructure, while only ₹ 550 crores will be spent on advertisement. Last year also the budget for advertisement was the same. There is no increase in the advertising budget,” Delhi’s Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot said.
VK Saxena approved the Annual Financial Statement 2023-2024 with certain observations on March 9, according to the Delhi LG office, and sent the file to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“Delhi Government thereafter sought the approval of President Droupadi Murmu by sending a letter to the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry conveyed its observations to the Delhi Government on March 17. The Budget was to be presented on March 21,” the LG Office said.
The LG Office also stated that it is still awaiting the file from the Delhi Chief Minister.
Notably, Delhi’s budget is subject to approval by the Home Ministry. The Budget is presented in the Delhi Assembly only after it has been approved by the MHA.
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