CM Jagan takes ordinance route again to meet the state expenses

For the second consecutive year, the Jaganmohan Reddy government is taking the ordinance route for clearance of the state expenses in the initial three months of next fiscal.

Last year, as the local body polls were postponed because of the pandemic and Covid-19 infections started spreading in the state, the YSRCP government promulgated an ordinance allowing a vote-on-account budget for all the necessary state disbursements including salaries till June 30.

This year too, the government has taken the same route. The state cabinet has reportedly approved the ordinance allowing the vote on account and the document was sent for the Governor's assent.

The ordinance route was criticized by the opposition as an unhealthy practice. Former finance minister and TDP leader in the legislative council Yanamala Ramakrishnudu accused CM Reddy of disregarding the legislative system.

Read | Nilam Sawhney quits Andhra Pradesh CM's advisor post, to take over as SEC

However, finance minister Buggana Rajendranth defended the decision saying the provision is made in the constitution.

“As there is no clarity from the state election commissioner on when the pending mandal, zilla parishad polls would be held, we were compelled to go for the vote on account. We would introduce the full budget soon (convening the legislature),” Buggana said.

A short-duration budget session was convened last year in June.

BJP former MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju stated that “the government went the ordinance way as CM Jagan wants to avoid a discussion on the Vizag steel plant, state finances etc issues.”