New Delhi, Jan 27: Government tonight ruled out any fresh tax proposals in the vote on account budget to Parliament on February 3 but asserted that it was within its powers to announce new scheme and policies before the dissolution of the Lok Sabha on Feb 6. "You cannot have any tax proposals in a vote on account", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters adding that government has the powers to announce new schemes and policies before dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Asked if government would come out with more sops during the presentation of vote on account of railways on Jan 30 and general on Feb 3, she said, " I do not want to usurp the powers of the finance minister and the railway minister."

"But, it is possible" that they may come up with new schemes and policies, she said.

While presenting vote on account, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar will make a speech for ten to fifteen minutes, "but to know what it contains, you will have to wait."


Giving the rationale as to why the government recommended in advance to the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha, she said that the President needed to be told about the extraordinary situation necessitating a vote on account.
She said that the government did not want to take the decision on dissolution earlier than today as a foreign dignitary was to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

Bureau Report