Governor to present full-fledged annual budget

• Drabu says new Govt can change it, Rather says never

Governor Narendra Nath Vohra would soon present a full-fledged annual budget indicating a prolonged stalemate on government formation.

Sources in the Raj Bhavan said Governor Vohra would present a full-fledged annual budget not a vote-on-account, which a caretaker government usually does for using funds for various items of expenditure like staff salaries.

As the state legislature is in a suspended animation following the death of sitting chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7, the Governor, for avoiding a financial crisis, was expected to present a vote-on-account.

Vote-on-account, which literally means a vote on the accounts of the government, is not a detailed budget, and is usually presented for a limited period upto three months.

However, sources in Raj Bhavan said the Governor has opted for a full-fledged annual budget instead of a vote-on-account.

As constitutionally, there is no distinction between a caretaker government and a regular one, the Governor is authorised to present a full-fledged budget.

Would this leave no scope for the new government to decide on the annual allocation of funds, former finance minister and senior National Conference leader, Abdul Rahim Rather thinks so but another former finance minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader, Haseeb Drabu says if the new government takes over, the legislature can change the budget presented by the Governor anytime.

Talking to us, Rather, who presented 14 annual budgets and two vote-on-accounts said, “After the Governor presents an annual budget, it can’t be undone or changed.”

He also said if the budget was passed, then there would be a remote possibility of government formation.

“If the Governor goes for a full-fledged budget, then there is uncertainty,” Rather said. “Had he been sure that the government would be formed anytime in immediate future, he would have gone for vote-on-account.”

The Governor either had to present vote-on-account or the full-fledged annual budget in order to avoid a financial crisis from April 1 as treasuries could not have been operated otherwise.

Drabu’s views on Governor presenting an annual budget though are contrary to Rather.

“The budget presented by the Governor can be changed by the legislature if and when the government formation takes place,” he said.

Drabu, who served on the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister and as Economic Advisor to Jammu Kashmir government, said there was nothing wrong in a Governor presenting a full-fledged budget instead of a vote-on-account.

“The Governors in the State presented full-fledged annual budgets for several years in the past,” he said. “The new government can present their annual budget and make the allocation changes.”