Please don't stop the Delhi Budget, Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, hours before its scheduled announcement, after the latest clash between his government and the Centre erupted yesterday.
"It is the first time in the country's 75-year history that a state budget has been stopped. Why are you angry with the people of Delhi," the Delhi Chief Minister wrote.
"The people of Delhi urge you, with folded hands, to pass their Budget," he said.
The Budget was to be announced today in the Delhi assembly, but Arvind Kejriwal said it had been blocked by the Centre, calling it "gundagardi (hooliganism)".
The Centre has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to resend the Budget after addressing concerns flagged by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who represents the Centre in Delhi.
Sources in the Union Home Ministry said the AAP government has been asked to explain the high allocation to advertisements and the relatively low funds assigned to infrastructure and other development initiatives.
AAP said the allocation on advertisements had not been raised and was the same as last year. In the ₹ 78,800-crore budget, 22,000 crore was assigned to infrastructure spending and ₹ 550 crore on advertisements, said Delhi's ruling party.
"This is the first time in the history of India... The budget of Delhi was to come tomorrow morning, but the Central government has put a stop to our budget. Delhi's budget will not come tomorrow morning (Tuesday)," Arvind Kejriwal told News18 India.
"From today, the employees of Delhi government, doctors and teachers will not get their salary... This is out-and-out hooliganism," he charged.
The Home Ministry said it had been waiting for a reply from the Delhi government for four days.
The Lieutenant Governor's office said the Centre's concerns were communicated to the Delhi government in time, with "certain observations", on March 9.
When the Budget proposals came back, the Delhi government asked for the mandatory approval of the President, writing to the Home Ministry. The ministry wrote back to the Delhi government on March 17. "The LG Office is yet waiting for the file to be sent to it from the Chief Minister," the statement from Mr Saxena's office said.
Kailash Gahlot, who took over as Delhi Finance Minister after Manish Sisodia's arrest, alleged late last evening that the March 17 letter was "hidden" by the Delhi Chief Secretary.
"For mysterious reasons, the Chief Secretary of Delhi kept the letter hidden for 3 days. I learned about the letter only at 2pm today," Mr Gahlot said.
Mr Gahlot said he received the Budget proposal file at 6 pm on Monday and by 9 pm, had responded to the Home Ministry's concerns "and submitted the file back to Delhi's LG".
"The role of the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of Delhi in delaying Delhi's budget ought to be investigated," he said.
The Lieutenant Governor's office said it had received the file at 9:25 pm and had sent it back to the Chief Minister at 10:05 pm for "further action as per law".
