Jaipur, Feb 04: Amid a boycott by main opposition Congress, the Rajasthan Assembly today passed by voice vote the interim budget for fiscal 2004-05 which showed an uncovered deficit of Rs 1394.48 crore with no new taxes. The House rushed through the budget without a debate within 15 minutes. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's ten-minute budget speech was interrupted by Congress members demanding to know the urgency behind the government seeking the vote-on-account for four months.
As Speaker Sumitra Singh rejected the point of order raised by Professor C P Joshi (Cong) in this regard, the congress members walked out of the House, boycotting the budget proceedings.
Raje, who holds the finance portfolio, said the government will come up with a revised budget before July since the state's share from taxes and other central grants were not known as the Centre's interim budget was presented in Parliament yesterday only.
The budget shows the state's total receipts for 2004-05 at Rs 34,708.16 crore while the expenditure would be Rs 36,102.64 crore, showing a net deficit of Rs 1394.48 crore.
While seeking the vote-on-account for only four months, Raje said the demands pertaining to elections, drinking water schemes and natural calamities were being sought for the whole year.
Following increase in the state's plan outlay by the Planning Commission, the revised estimates for 2003-04 showed the total receipts at rs 35,904.18 crore while the expenditure would touch Rs 36,186.55 crore, leading to a net deficit of Rs 282.37 crore. Bureau Report