Meetings cancelled but Budget on course

NEW DELHI : The final draft of the proposals in the Green Budget, which was to be submitted to the finance and planning departments on Thursday, could not be presented because of the ongoing tussle between the bureaucracy and the AAP government following an alleged assault on the Chief Secretary bysomeaapmlasonmonday.

This year, the government is coming up with Green Budget, which will focus on ways to reduce pollution in the city with proposals from five different departments. The Delhi government is likely to present the Budget after mid-march but had begun preparations from January. Review meetings of each department were conducted by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia. They meetings had been concluded earlier this month.

While initial proposals of the Green Budget were presented before Sisodia on February 14 by the departments, they were asked to finalise the document and get it signed by the respective minsters by Thursday. However, that did not happen.

The finance department, however, said this won’t delay the Budget. “We have finished discussions over the Green Budget with each department and we know what the demands are. We will have to see how it (funds) have to be allocated. The process is likely to begin next week,” a senior official said.

Officials of departments such as power, transport and PWD said that their proposals are ready, but they are yet to be signed by the ministers.

“Green Budget proposals for transport and power departments will be discussed and sent to the ministers concerned on Friday,” said Varsha Joshi, transport commissioner and principal power secretary. The transport department proposes to introduce 500 electric buses and the power department proposed a special policy for use of solar power at government buildings.

The PWD is also yet to get its proposal signed by minster Satyendar Jain. “We have submitted our proposal and it is with the PWD secretary,” said engineer-in-chief Sarvagya Shrivastava.

Officials said the ongoing showdown between the bureaucracy and the political executive would “not hamper” Budget preparations as review meetings of all departments and other necessary process have already been completed.

“We have got demands from the departments. After this, we will match the estimates and try to allocate the money,” a finance department official said.