Has Budget been enacted? Nobody knows!

By Vijay Kumar

Strange are the ways of the Government! The Budget actually known as THE FINANCE (No. 2) BILL, 2009 was hurriedly passed by both houses of Parliament as it was necessary that the Finance Bill became Act by the 31st of July 2009. The Bill becomes the Act on the President giving her assent to the Bill.

Now has the President given her assent? Nobody knows! Neither Rashtrapati Bhavan nor Law Ministry has given out any information as to whether the Finance Bill is enacted or not. The Finance Ministry seems to be equally ignorant.

We are getting frantic calls and e-mails about the enactment and we are equally helpless. Has the President signed it or are they going to make her sign retrospectively? If she has signed it, what prevents them from making it public?

Is something wrong somewhere?