ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Maharashtra government on the mat over budget 'leaks'

Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker Datta Nalawade has taken serious notice of Opposition members's charge of leakage of the budget before its presentation in the state legislature, and directed an inquiry as to how it was leaked.

In the state legislative council, chairman Jayantrao Tilak directed the government to take strict action against the officials responsible for the leak of budget details.

In the assembly on Monday, as soon as Finance Minister Mahadeorao Shivankar rose to present the budget, Rohidas Patil (Congress), raising the point of propriety, alleged that supplying the budget booklet to the members in the morning before presenting it to the House amounted to breach of secrecy of the budget.

Another Congress member, Dileep Valse-Patil, pointed out that the Hindujas's cable channel had recently announced the details of the entertainment tax structure, and that the figures tallied with those in the budget proposals.

At this, the entire Opposition came to its feet, and asked the minister how these figures were known to outsiders. They also shouted slogans against the finance minister and demanded his resignation for leaking the budget even while keeping the members in the dark. This amounted to breach of privilege, Patil, who was instrumental in creating the furore, said.

In the legislative council, Narayan Rane, minister for dairy development, fisheries and animal husbandry, said strict action would be taken against officials concerned for the leakage of some parts of the budget.

Rane was replying to the Opposition members's allegation that parts of the budget were leaked to put the chief minister in trouble. The minister said the Opposition was misguiding the House by making such allegations.

While it was true that expenditure accounts declaring the provisions of expenditure for 1998-99 from the budget were leaked, he clarified that it was a mistake on part of the officials concerned.

Chhagan Bhujbal, leader of the Opposition, demanded Rane's resignation on this issue and urged the chair to give a ruling on such a serious matter .

Otherwise, it will set a wrong precedent in the House, Arun Mehta (Congress) added.

Tilak then ruled that strict action should be taken against the officials responsible for the leakage, to which the minister agreed.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report