Interim budget to be presented in Puducherry Assembly today: CM
Tamil Nadu: The Puducherry Legislative Assembly will meet on Thursday (February 12). Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the interim budget for the Puducherry government.
The budget is presented in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly every year in March. Because of the Assembly elections this year, a full budget cannot be presented. Therefore, the Puducherry Legislative Assembly will meet on Thursday so that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy can present the interim budget and seek approval for the government’s expenditure for five months. When the Assembly reconvenes at 9:30 a.m., condolence messages will be read. Chief Minister Rangasamy will then present the interim budget. He will also seek the House’s approval for additional expenditure for the current financial year.
At this meeting, opposition parties Congress and DMK plan to raise the issue of counterfeit medicines and corruption allegations.
Chief Minister Rangasamy leads the NR Congress-BJP coalition government that won the 2021 Assembly elections in Puducherry. This government’s term will end next April.
Thus, the current Assembly session will be the last for the N.R. Congress-BJP coalition government. The Puducherry Assembly will resume only after the elections. Only then will the new government present a full budget. The election date is expected to be announced by the end of this month. The code of conduct will come into effect as soon as the elections are announced. From that day on, ministers and MLAs will surrender their government cars and the Assembly room to the Assembly Secretary.
The Puducherry Assembly has 30 elected MLAs and 3 nominated MLAs. Of these, 10 are from the N.R. Congress, 6 from the BJP, 6 from the DMK, 2 from the Congress, and 6 independent MLAs. All 3 nominated MLAs are from the BJP.
