Budget for 2017-18 advanced to February

GUWAHATI: The state budget for the next

financial year

will be advanced by at least a month to be in line with the

Union budget

.

State finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

on Wednesday said the state budget for 2017-18 would be presented in the assembly by

February

10 instead of in March like previous years. The governor has summoned the assembly on January 30.

The Union budget will be presented on February 1 next year in a departure from the Raj-era practice of being presented on the last working day of February. In Assam, the budget would usually be presented in the second week of March.

"The date has not been fixed but the budget will be presented before February 10. The date was advanced after the Centre decided to present the Union budget early. The Centre has written to us asking us to advance our dates as well," Sarma said.

Sarma said, "The following year, budget presentation will be advanced to January and then to December later. The idea is to make the financial year the same as the calendar year."

The previous Congress government had presented a vote-on-account in February last year for six months in view of the assembly election held in April. The BJP-led state government presented the budget for the remaining period in July.