KL Report

Jammu

RATHER-12J&K’s Finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather is presenting the 2014-15 budget in the state assembly. It will be his fourteenth budget presentation ever since he was elected to state assembly with Sheikh M Abdullah as the Chief Minister.

Rather, who represents Chrar-e-Sharief constituency for the sixth term has presented state budgets in 1983, 1984, 987, 1988, 1989, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Besides, he has presented vote on account on two occasions.

Given the 2014 state elections, there is every possibility that there might be emphasis on some sort of populism. Asserting that he has made an endeavour “to present a people friendly budget” within the available resources, Rather has said he and his team had made efforts to make the budget proposals representative to the urges and aspirations of the people and also stake holders.

Rather is Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on GST since July 2013. He was elected to the position after the berth fell vacant with the resignation of Bihar Finance Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

There were reports that Rather may follow the federal government and present a provisional budget. But there was no official confirmation or rejection of the reports. Unlike P Chidambaram whose mandate will lapse with the moral code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls, Rather has his mandate with him for nearly ten months.

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