Pb govt gives nod to budget presentation, clears CAG audit reports

The Punjab government Sunday cleared the presentation of the budget estimates for 2019-20, along with various accounts and CAG audit reports, in the ongoing budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, okayed the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Audit Reports, Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts for the year ending March 31, 2018.

It also gave the go-ahead for presenting the budget estimates of the Government of Punjab for the year 2019-20 in the assembly, an official release said.

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is facing criticism for his remarks after the Pulwama terror attack, was conspicuous by his absence from the cabinet meeting, called to approve the state budget before the document is tabled in the state assembly.

Sidhu had on Friday asked if an entire nation can be blamed for a handful of people after Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit took responsibility for the suicide bomb attack on a CRPF convoy on Thursday that left 40 personnel dead.

However, seeking to clear the air that he had skipped Sunday's cabinet meeting, Sidhu said that he had prior commitments and five functions of development works which were fixed days in advance.

"Visited (Pulwama attack) martyr's family at Dinanagar (Gurdaspur) along with Aruna ji (Pb Minister). Had prior commitments, five functions of development works fixed 10 days before, with Hon'ble Ministers and MLAs including Smt. Aruna Choudhary and Shri Sham Sundar Arora," Sidhu tweeted.