If the Narendra Modi government presents a full Budget instead of a vote-on-account, it will not only be improper but also unconstitutional, former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said on Monday.
“No Finance Minister has presented a Finance Bill in a vote-on-account session. If this government does that, it will be the first time and it will be in direct contravention of the Constitution,” Mr. Sinha said.
He was speaking at a freewheeling session with the Indian Women’s Press Corps.
He said Article 116 of the Constitution clearly laid down the need for a vote-on-account. If the government had a choice of presenting a full Budget or vote-on-account, there was no need for this section.
Mr. Sinha said the government does not have the authority to present the Economic Survey or a Finance Bill or introduce new services. “They can only introduce an appropriation Bill for sanctioning expenditure for the next three to four months,” he added.
The Budget session is scheduled to begin on January 31. Interim budgets were presented in 2004, 2009 and 2014, he said and added that he had also tabled two interim budgets as Finance Minister.