Union Budget on Feb 1: Permission from EC comes with cautions
ProMASS: Jan 24, 2017: Decks are clear for Union Budget after obtaining nod from Election Commission. The EC has given its permission to the Centre to present the Union Budget on February 1 ahead of the Assembly polls in five States. However, Coomission’s nod came with a caution. Referring to free and fair elections, The commission told Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha that no state-specific schemes shall be announced to influence voters in the five poll-bound states. Further, the EC also said that in the Finance Minister’s speech, the government’s achievements with respect to the five states should not be highlighted in any manner.
Notably, Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Punjab and Goa will be held in phases between February 4 and March 8. Opposition parties had demanded that the government be asked to defer presentation of Budget on February 1. Earlier, the Apex Court had dismissed a plea seeking postponement of the Union Budget. The Court said, there was no illustration that it would influence voters.
