Black money issue to figure prominently in budget session

NEW DELHI: The issue of bringing back Indian black money stashed abroad is likely to figure prominently in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Monday with BJP leader L K Advani today saying that the Opposition was eager to know how the Government had tackled the matter.

Recalling Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's assurance to Parliament during the Winter session that a "white paper" (authoritative document) would be brought on black money, Advani said it was an "important issue" and the opposition looked forward to it with great expectation.

"I do not know if the Finance Minister's promise in the last session of a white paper on black money is going to be presented in the first part or after the recess. That is an issue we look forward to with great expectation...that it will not be just a formal thing," he told reporters here.

"The issue itself is important and we would like to know from the white paper how the Government has tackled it till now or proposes to get back the enornmous wealth, which has been very often illicitly earned...," he said.

During the discussion on the adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, Mukherjee had assured that the government will bring a "White Paper" on black money.

Replying to a spirited debate on Adjournment Motion on Blackmoney moved by Advani, which was later defeated by voice vote, Mukherjee had rejected Opposition demand for making public the information received, saying it would violate the agreement with foreign countries and also "dry up our source of information".