The Union Budget for 1998-99 will be presented in the first week of June, and not in the third week of May as initially anticipated. Disclosing this, a senior cabinet minister said the cabinet meeting on Saturday had not discussed the precise dates of presentation of the Economic Survey-1997-98 and the Railway and Union Budgets. The cabinet, according to him, had only cleared the date (May 27) for summoning Parliament.
The final dates of presentation would be decided only subject to the business advisory committee of Parliament. The announcement would then be made by the Parliamentary Affairs minister. Presenting the budget in the first week of June would give the government 10-months to implement its revenue proposals. And, this is significant since the ministry is expected to go in for substantial tariff rationalisations on the customs side.
An official notification yesterday said the house is likely to adjourn on July 29, subject to exigencies of government business.
