Thomas IsaacThiruvananthapuram: Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac plans to present the state budget for the next fiscal year on January 8. The target is to keep the budget ready by April 1, 2018 when the fiscal year begins, after debate and approval in the State Assembly.
The benefit is that projects could be launched on April 1 itself. This will allow the departments a full year to implement projects and avoid last-minute rush in 2019 to exhaust the allocation.
The Kerala budget was approved ahead of the fiscal year only once before – when Vakkom Purushothaman was finance minister.
It is understood that the Center is also eyeing a January 2018 budget. Kerala does not want to wait for that though tradition has it that the state's budget is presented only after the Central budget. The present style is to present the budget in March and get it approved by June or July. Which means vote-on-account procedures become necessary in the three months prior to budget approval. Such delay of the full budget also delays work on projects until Onam.
Government hopes a January budget would help expedite everything related to that. The finance department has already notified all departments as well as the state planning board to submit suggestions for the budget and to plan projects. There is no scope for taxation as GST has made its entry, but there could be increase or reduction in fees levied by the state.
Precise answers sought
As the State Assembly session opens on Monday, the state chief secretary has issued strict instructions that departments should answer queries from MLAs promptly. The government was on the defensive in the previous session as many answers were not available. It also led to criticism from the Speaker.
The chief secretary's directive says answers should be made available with the legislative secretariat before 5pm on Sunday.
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