Full-fledged budget: Matter to be discussed in coordination committee

With differences emerging between ruling coalition partners Congress and JD(S) over presentation of a full-fledged budget by the new Karnataka government, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara today said the matter would be discussed in the coordination committee.

"When a new government comes to power, it will naturally have its new programmes, in the same way it has already been decided in the coordination committee to continue with the programmes of the old (Congress) government.

"So, we will have to combine both. We will discuss about it in the coordination committee and after the discussion, we will come to a final decision," he told reporters here.

Responding to a question, Parameshwara said the committee would decide whether the new programmes should be announced through a fresh budget or any other procedure.

"There are different procedures for it. It can be through a new budget or through an appropriation bill...we will finally decide on it in the coordination committee," he said.

Former chief minister and chairman of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee Siddaramaiah had yesterday suggested that there was no need for a fresh budget and insisted that a supplementary budget would do.

"The budget has already been tabled. It is a full-fledged budget, for which we have taken vote on accounts for four months, it will be there till July-end.

"All ongoing programmes and new programmes announced in the budget will continue...if (Chief Minister) Kumaraswamy wants to announce new programmes or schemes, he can do it through a supplementary budget," he had said.

Siddaramaiah, who also held the Finance portfolio in the previous Congress government, had presented a full-fledged budget in February and sought a vote on account till July.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah's "suggestion", Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has insisted on presenting the budget, pointing out that the new government has to demonstrate its objectives to the people.

Stating that a drafting committee had been constituted to prepare the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the new government, Parameshwara said once the CMP was placed before the coordination committee, discussions would be held on providing financial backing for its implementation.

"How to do it, through budget or appropriation, will be discussed and a decision will be taken," he added.

A five-member drafting committee has been appointed by the coordination committee to prepare the CMP, which will have the salient features of the poll manifestos of the Congress and the JD(S).

The committee has been asked submit its report within 10 days.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio in the new government, has hinted that the budget will be presented in the first week of July.

According to official sources, the chief minister has also scheduled pre-budget meetings with various departments and the respective ministers, starting June 21.