Hyderabad: Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday deferred the Telangana Legislature Budget Session from September 10 to the last week of September or first week of October. Mr Rao met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, along with chief secretary Rajiv Sharma, on Thursday evening and conveyed the government’s decision to defer the Session by a few weeks.
Mr Rao also instructed officials to hold their Budget exercises till the results of the recently conducted Intensive Household Survey came. He wanted the officials to reflect the Survey results in the budgetary grants, plans and projects to make it “Telangana centric” in all respects. There is a provision in the AP Reorganisation Act, Section 44 of which states that the Telangana Governor is empowered to release the budgetary grants from the consolidated fund for a period not more than six months from the appointed day of June 2.
This enabling provision allowed Mr Rao to defer the Budget Session. It was earlier thought that the six month vote on account Budget that was approved by the undivided AP Assembly would last till September 30, and an appropriation Bill would be approved before expiry of that date. But since there is a saving clause in the Act, the Chief Minister decided to defer the Session so that a more Telangana centric Budget could be presented. If fresh funds need to be spent beyond September 30, the state Cabinet will seek the Governor’s approval according to Section 44 of the Act.
