Virbhadra presents record 15th state Budget

Shimla, Mar 5 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh becomes the only Finance Minister and the CM in the country to have presented a record number of 15 Budgets in the Assembly.

With his fifth Budget in a row today, Mr Singh has now presented a record number of 15 Budgets after becoming HP's Chief Minister in 1983.

While he presented six Budgets in a row between 1984 and 1989, four were presented between 1994 and 1998 after the Congress government returned to power following the dismissal of the Shanta Kumar led-BJP government after the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

In comparison, former Union Minister Shanta Kumar had presented six Budgets in two tenures as state Chief Minister and Finance Minister. Former Chief Minister P K Dhumal had five in a row and another former CM Ram Lal Thakur had four consecutive Budgets from 1980 onwards.

Mr Kumar had presented three Budgets in a row in 1977, 1978 and 1979 and three again in 1990, 1991 and 1992, while Former Chief Minister P K Dhumal had presented five Budgets during the previous BJP government from 1998 onwards.

Mr Thakur had presented four Budgets in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 before Mr Singh replaced him as the Chief Minister.

Mr Singh, who is one of the most popular leaders of the state, is optimistic of returning to power in the next Assembly elections which are due in February 2008.

UNI