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| All Eyes on Rather’s Plan | | No vote on account, budget presentation likely on Feb 16 | | ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, Jan 12: As work begins in Civil Secretariat on Tuesday after a weekend break and holiday, the first major task before the government is to decide timing and nature of assembly session and presentation of the budget for upcoming financial year. An architect of eight annual budgets in Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather is the man in the middle of all focus as how he makes the outlook of present regime different from the previous one as presentation of budget would reflect what the present government is actually up to.
When a new government takes over, particularly in beginning of a New Year, the first major challenge is always about facing legislature on the floor of the House and presenting annual budget for the next financial year. Sources have indicated that the NC-Congress coalition government will come up with a routine assembly session and traditional mode of budget without any hype.
When the Omar Abdullah Cabinet informally met on Friday last, the main issue which Ministers discussed was reportedly convening of legislature and presentation of the budget. Sources told Early Times, while some Ministers mooted the idea of Vote on Account instead of regular budget but the majority of Minister saw no reason in this.
Even though the portfolios were yet to be distributed when the Cabinet met Friday but the prospective Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather wanted to have a clear opinion of the cabinet so as to start a reverse counting for budget preparation. The portfolios were allocated the next evening and since then Rather was way in New Delhi. Sources, however, claimed that the Cabinet finally had a complete consensus on a regular budget instead of Vote on Account.
It is learnt that after expansion of Ministry, anytime in next few days, the government will request the Governor to summon session of state legislature in early February and subsequently the budget is likely to be presented on February 16. Sources said that this was a tentative schedule and the Cabinet is yet to discuss the issue for drawing a clear roadmap.
It may be recalled here that when Peoples Democratic Party-Congress coalition government had taken over the reigns in November 2002, the then Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig had gone for a Vote on Account instead of a regular budget which was presented in June next year. Rather, who was then immediate predecessor of Finance Minister Baig, was highly critical of Vote on Account. Baig had alleged that he “inherited a messed up financial system and wanted to cleanse it first before presenting regular budget”.
When the first budget of PDP-Congress coalition government was presented in June 2003, people got to hear a new terminology –‘Zero Deficit’. However, Rather as an experienced hand on managing finances and being Leader of the Opposition, blew up the Zero Deficit claims as he described such budget “a verbal jugulary, mere postponement of liabilities and fudging of figures”. Year after year, the two Finance Ministers –Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra –continued with their six Zero Deficit budgets and each time Rather ridiculed the proposals as shifting of liabilities.
The presentation of annual of annual budget for the year 2009-10 is a big challenge for the government in general and for Rather in particular as he was the last Finance Minister when National Conference demitted office in 2002.
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