Can the finance minister make policy statements while presenting the vote-on-account?
Barring any announcement on taxation, the finance minister’s speech before seeking Parliament’s approval of the vote-on-account can contain his intentions on economic policy. When former finance minister Yashwant Sinha presented the vote-on account in 1991, he announced the Chandra Shekhar government’s plan to divest government equity in public sector undertakings. For how long can a vote-on-account be in force? Normally, the vote-on-account is taken for two months only. But during election year or when it is anticipated that the main Demands and Appropriation Bill will take longer time than two months, the vote-on-account may be for a period extending two months. Typically this period does not exceed six months, as that is the maximum gap possible between two sittings of the Parliament. Normally a vote-on-account is in operation till the full Budget is passed.
