FM to present 'budget' after assembly polls

NEW DELHI: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has said country's annual budget for 2012-13 would be presented after the completion of assembly polls in the five states.

"We have not yet decided the time but naturally it (annual budget) will have to be after the elections," Mukherjee told reporters on Monday. The annual budget is usually presented on the last working day of February.

The Election Commission has announced a seven-phased poll in Uttar Pradesh between February 4 and 28, while assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa will be held in a single-phase.

Punjab and Uttarakhand will go to polls on January 30, while it will be held on January 28 in Manipur and on March 3 in Goa. The counting of votes in all the five states will be held together on March 4

A finance ministry official said the budget could be presented in Mid March.

"There are two proposals...the budget could be presented either on March 14 or 15," the official said. The general budget is usually presented on the last day of February every year.

Mukherjee will hold brainstorming sessions with various stakeholders during his annual pre-budget meetings beginning January 11. The first meeting would be held with agriculturalists, followed by a series of interactions with sectoral experts, representatives, industry captains and economists over the next ten days to get their feedback and inputs for incorporating them in Budget 2012-13.