Union budget day not to clash with poll dates: Arun Jaitley

Though state polls are due early 2017 5 states, the EC has not announced the dates

With the government mulling an early Union Budget for next financial year (2017-18), efforts were on to avoid its presentation clash with assembly poll dates in five states, said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday.

"As we have decided in principle to advance the presentation of the Union budget for implementing it from April 1, we are trying to see its day does not clash with poll dates to assembly elections in five states," Jaitley said.

As against the convention of presenting the budget on February last day every year over the decades, the Central government wants to present it earlier to ensure the passage of the finance bill in Parliament so that its proposals can be implemented from Apirl 1, when the next financial (2017-18) year begins.

 
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Though the legislative assembly elections in phases are due early 2017 in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur, the poll panel has not announced the dates.

"We are trying to co-ordinate (with poll panel) so that we do not announce the Budget in the middle of an election date but before or after the polls," added Jaitley.

The tenure of Punjab, Manipur and Goa assemblies is due to end on March 18, 2017, that of Uttarakhand is on March 26 and Uttar Pradesh on May 27.