CHAPTER - 24

BUDGET (MAHARASHTRA) 1980-81

Lok Sabha , 17th March 1980

EDITORIAL NOTE

After, the General Elections held in January 1980, Mrs. Indira Gandhi dissolved all the State Governments, ruled by non-Congress parties. That also included Maharashtra, ruled by the Progressive Democratic Front Government.

Commenting on the Budget Proposals presented to the Lok Sabha, Y. B. Chavan expressed unhappiness over the dissolution of State Governments by the Central Government. The Budget Proposals lacked socio-economic content and was merely an exercise in constructing, what Chavan called a ‘bureaucratic budget.’ He offered several suggestions based on his experience and intimate knowledge of Maharashtra.

Shri Yashwantrao Chavan (Satara) : Mr. Deputy speaker, Sir, I am indeed glad participate in this debate because the Finance Minster is presenting the Budget of Maharashtra on its new year day. I will, therefore, start by giving him greetings on this auspicious day.

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When I am speaking on Maharashtra Budget, I find that there are two aspects of the Budget-one is the political aspect, which is not direct result of the Budget. But these Budgets are the product of that political aspect. Therefore, I Would be speaking symbolically for all the States, whose Assemblies have been dissolved and whose Budgets are being considered. This political aspects is something, which is not very auspicious for this particular regime, for years to come.

I would like to give some history of this problem. This question of dissolving the State Assemblies after the parliamentary elections was started as a wrong precedent by the Janata Government, Unfortunately, those who claim to be very severe and acute critic of Janata Government are now walking on the footsteps of the Janata Government by dissolving Assemblies of an equal number of States, 9 State Assemblies. I think, this is a very wrong thing. I would like to remind this Government that Mrs. Gandhi as a leader and as a Prime Minister of a previous Government, had taken a decision to de-link the State elections from the parliamentary elections. What was the point in de-linking? The point was that State issues are different; State issues are considered by the people in the different manner. So, the verdict of the people should be taken separately. When those issues are being judged by people and a certain Government is functioning arid as long as there is no constitutional break-down, it is absolutely undemocratic and arbitrary to dissolve such a Government. If Assembly had met and confidence was expressed in the Government by the Assembly that proves that the Government had got a stable majority in the Assembly. Even then it was the sweet will of this Government to dissolve such an Assembly. It was a very unfortunate for India’s democratic traditions that such things can take place, where a dozen people sitting in some room of the south Block are undoing what the millions of people  have done at the time of elections in 1978. This is, what was done.