PIL to delay Union Budget negated by SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition to delay the annual Budget, which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is scheduled to present in Parliament on February 1, after noting that the plea did not have any merit. “Which provision of the law, or the Constitution, is violated by advancing the budget date?' a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Jagdish Singh Khehar, questioned petitioner-lawyer. Manohar Lal Sharma.

The bench found no merit in the Public Interest Litigation filed by Mr Sharma, who had called for the Budget to be delayed until after a round of five regional elections. While dismissing the plea, the bench said, no case was made out by Mr Sharma. It said that the Union Budget would not violate the Model Code of Conduct in election-bound states. In September last year, the Union government had announced that it would deliver its Budget a month earlier than usual.

The bench, also comprising Justice DY Chandrachud, had asked Mr Sharma, to show them the provision that could bar the Centre from presenting the Budget on February 1. The judges had told Mr Sharma,“We tried to find the provision but could not.” (UNI)