As the Center demands an explanation from the Kejriwal government regarding its advertising expenditures, there will be no Delhi budget today.
The Centre has put a hold on the Delhi Budget, which was supposed to be presented on Tuesday. According to sources, the MHA has requested an explanation for the amount of money spent on advertisements, despite the fact that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the central government was using "gundagardi."
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, asserted on Monday that the Centre has halted the Delhi government's budget one day before it was scheduled to be presented to the Assembly. The information was confirmed by sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who pointed out that before the presentation of the Budget, the Center had sought clarification from the Aam Aadmi Party government regarding the amount it spent on advertisements.
On Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party published a video of Arvind Kejriwal giving a speech at a News18 program. It can be heard that the chief minister states that the Delhi Budget will not be presented on March 21.
Arvind Kejriwal blamed the focal government for falling back on "gundagardi" and expressed that without precedent for the historical backdrop of the country, an administration's spending plan was required to be postponed.
In the mean time, in light of Arvind Kejriwal's assertion, the Association Home Service said that it has looked for explanation from the Delhi Government on why the use on ads is more than that on foundation, according to government sources.
Additionally, sources claim that on March 17, the MHA requested clarification from the Delhi government on a number of issues, including administrative and budgetary issues. According to them, the MHA has not received any clarification regarding the issues raised with the Delhi government over the past four days.
The home ministry sources added that approval for the budget will be pending before the MHA until the Delhi government provides clarification.
A sad day for democracy in India: Kailash Gahlot, the finance minister of Delhi, stated that the Union home ministry's concerns were "irrelevant" and were made to "scuttle the Delhi government's budget next year."
Following a timetable of the occasion, Kailash Gahlot said that the financial plan was sent for MHA's endorsement, according to standard practice well ahead of time, on Walk 10, 2023.
“In a letter sent to the Chief Secretary on March 17, 2023, it has been learned that the MHA expressed some concerns regarding the Delhi government's budget and refused to give it approval. For strange reasons, the Central Secretary of Delhi kept the letter concealed for 3 days. The letter only came to my attention today at 2 p.m. Kailash Gahlot stated, "The file containing MHA's letter was officially presented to me only at 6 p.m. today, just the day before the budget was scheduled to be presented in the Delhi Assembly."
He added that they had addressed MHA's concerns and returned the file to Delhi's LG at 9 p.m. today, with the CM's approval.
Kailash Gahlot stated, "The role of the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of Delhi in delaying Delhi's budget should be investigated."
He added, "It is additionally appalling that MHA is spreading deceptions about Delhi government's spending plan. Next year, capital expenditures will receive nearly Rs 22,000 crore, while advertising will receive only Rs 550 crore, which is the same as last year. The MHA's concerns are irrelevant and appear to be intended only to scuttle the Delhi government's budget for the following year.
The Delhi Assembly received the city's Outcome Budget earlier today from the finance minister. The Assembly's current budget session is scheduled to end on March 23.