Cabinet Grants Permission to Present Budget, Clears Various Accounts & CAG Audit Reports or Vidhan Sabha

Chandigarh, February 17: The Punjab Council of Ministers on Sunday cleared the presentation of the Budget Estimates for 2019-20, along with various accounts and CAG audit reports, in the ongoing budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, okayed the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Audit Reports, Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts for the year ending March 31, 2018, in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

As per provisions of Clause 2 of Article-151 of the Constitution of India, these documents and reports are mandatory to be tabled in the State Assembly during the Budget Session. CAG has forwarded authenticated copies of Finance Accounts (Vol-I and II) and Appropriation Accounts of the Government of Punjab for the year 2017-18, to the state government for tabling these reports in the Assembly.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha

Further, according to the provision of Rule 11 of the Rules of Business of the Government of Punjab, 1992 and entry at Sr.No.14 of the Schedule thereto, the annual audit review of the Finances of the State is required to be placed before the Council of Ministers. In pursuance of the provisions contained in Clause (3) of Article 203 of the Constitution of India, the Cabinet also gave approval to present the Supplementary Demands for Grants of the Government of Punjab for the year 2018-19 to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

It also gave the go-ahead for presenting the Budget Estimates of the Government of Punjab for the year 2019-20 in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the current Budget Session, in pursuance of the provisions contained in Clause (1) of Article 204 read with Article 206 of the Constitution of India. The Cabinet also gave approval to regularise the excess accumulated expenditure of the demands for grants mentioned in the Appropriation Accounts for the year 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 in the current Budget Session of the Assembly.