After 22 years, Chandy to again present state budget

It's after 22 long years that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will on Friday present the state's annual budget.

Chandy last presented the budget in 1994 as the finance minister in K. Karunakaran's cabinet.

This time, however, the responsibility of presenting the budget has fell on his shoulders by default as K.M. Mani resigned as finance minister last year following a Kerala High Court order in the bar bribery case.

On Thursday morning, however, the chief minister was busy defending his government on the assembly floor against a strong onslaught by the Left opposition.

During the presentation of the budget last year, the Kerala assembly witnessed unruly scenes as the opposition members threw the speaker's chair and damaged furniture and fittings in the house, saying they would not allow a "corrupt Mani" to present the budget.