The Assembly hall in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly being spruced up ahead of the budget session commencing on July 2. | Photo Credit: T. Singaravelou more-in After a delay of almost one month, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy is all set to present the budget for 2018-19 in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. Members of the Cabinet, along with officials, went into a huddle on Sunday to give finishing touches to the annual budget. The Cabinet then approved the budget speech to be delivered by Mr. Narayanasamy. Enhancement of pension The Assembly, which is likely to be in session for 15 days, is expected to adopt several Bills, including the one proposing enhancement of pension from ?10,000 to ?25,000 for former MLAs. The State Planning Board in April had recommended a plan outlay of ?7,530 crore for 2018 -19, an increase of ?585 crore over that of the last financial year. From April this year, the financial affairs of the Union Territory were being managed with funds sanctioned by the House after the government sought a vote-on-account of ?2,466 crore during a one-day session in March. With expenditure sanctioned only till July, the House was reconvened on June 4 to present a full budget but was adjourned sine die minutes after a last minute communication from the Union Home Ministry on the budget. The clarification was related to grant-in-aid for Centrally sponsored schemes. Finally, the Ministry of Home Affairs gave its approval on June 18 clearing the decks for presenting the Budget in the Assembly. Opposition ready The All India N.R. Congress, which is the principal Opposition party, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would, in all likelihood, use the floor to highlight what they perceive as the failure of the government. The on-going “name-and-shame” drive to recover pending arrears in the Electricity Department and Local Administration Department was likely to resonate in the House after the names of a few ruling party MLAs surfaced in the outed lists. An AINRC MLA said the government had failed to implement the ruling party’s election promises. AIADMK floor leader A. Anbazhagan told a press conference on Sunday that the previous budget had sanctioned funds to distribute free rice, widow pension and financial assistance to poor students. None of the schemes could be implemented in the last financial year because of the power tussle between the Lt. Governor and the government. The party would definitely raise issues concerning public, the AIADMK leader said.

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