Opening another front in his battle with the AAP, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, questioning the delay in presenting the Budget and urged him to expedite the “stalled” process of Budget presentation in the Assembly.

The LG’s letter comes a day after his missive to Kejriwal regarding five Comptroller and Auditor General reports that, he said, have been “pending” with Delhi Finance Minister Atishi since August 2023. The Delhi Government in a statement said the budget was en route to the LG office for his approval.

The Delhi Assembly’s Budget Session, which started on February 15, was extended till the first week of March with the finance minister citing a delay in its finalisation and seeking approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).  The Budget Session was initially scheduled to end on February 21.

Hitting out at the government, Saxena has accused it of “stalling the budget for no apparent reason” and said the people have a right to know how public funds are being used. “I  am constrained to bring to your notice that despite the Annual Financial Statement being ready and available with the Government, after due clearance of Government of India, since as long as 19.022024, it is yet to reach me for causing it to be laid in the House as per law established,” the Lt Governor said in the letter.

“You are accordingly requested to get the process expedited and utilize the Budget Session for what it was summoned for in the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance,” reads the letter.

“You may be aware that Section 27 of the GNCT of Delhi Act, 1991 entails the processes and procedures involved in laying the Annual Financial Statement (Budget), that inter alia in its sub-section (1) specifies that, “The Lieutenant Governor shall in respect of every financial year cause to be laid before the Legislative Assembly, with the previous sanction of the President, a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Capital for that year, in this Part referred to as the “annual financial statement”.

“It will be pertinent to mention here that the Cabinet’s decision to summon the House for Budget Session between 15.02.2024 and 21.02.2024 was taken on 31.01.2024. It was sent to me on 02.02.2024 and on the basis of the same, orders of summoning were issued by me on 06.02.2024’, the letter said.

The Lt Governor further stated that subsequently, the Annual Financial Statement (Budget) was received by my Secretariat on 13.02.2024 and the same was cleared by me for further approval by the President of India on 14,02.2024. It was then sent to MHA, for sanction of the  President, on 15.02.2024 by GNCTD, following which the Government of India conveyed its approval on 19.02.2024, within 03 working days. Thereafter, the process seems to have been stalled for no apparent reason at the level of GNCTD.

“Be that as it may it will be in the fitness of things that the Annual Financial Statement (Budget), be laid, discussed and passed in the Assembly at the earliest for the benefit of people of Delhi. Needless to say that it will not only give an opportunity to the people to know about the expenses and revenue of the Government, but also apprise them of the programs that public funds - that belongs to the people themselves, are being utilized for what purpose.” reads the letter.

Criticising the AAP government, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri have accused the Kejriwal government of deliberately delaying the budget of Delhi and neglecting the issues of public interest raised by the opposition in the Assembly. Sachdeva said that Arvind Kejriwal is making the Assembly his weapon to hide his corruption and incompetence and once again he has lied about the budget. “CM Kejriwal has with malafide intention suppressed the budget that was approved by President Draupadi Murmur on February 19 and sent back to the Delhi government,” he said. Bidhuri said that Kejriwal is using the Assembly only to hurl abuses at the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the Central Government, and BJP leaders and to justify his corruption.