Finance Minister Raghavji will present the Budget 2013-14, the last Annual Financial Statement of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government’s second term, in the Assembly on Friday. With the presentation of budget, Raghavji will equal the record of presenting the budget in the State Assembly for maximum times. Apparently, this will also be the last budget of the 13th Assembly of the State.
In view of the year-end Assembly elections, it is being estimated that the Budget may contain several concessions and populist announcements. For the first time, the Budget figure might exceed the Rs 1,00,000 crore mark. The previous Budget’s figure was about Rs 80,000 crore.
With Friday’s presentation, Raghavji would become the State’s second Finance Minister to present the Annual Financial Statement successively for a decade. During the Digvijay Singh (Congress) regime’s ten-year tenure, Ajay Narayan Mushran presented as many budgets.
Official sources said the Finance Minister and his officers were busy giving final shape to the Budget. At the Assembly, preparations are underway for the D-Day.
The Annual Financial Statement is likely to contain comprehensive provisions for development of infrastructure relating to agriculture, power, roads, irrigation, besides education, health and other sectors.
