Dhankhar gives nod to financial statements, supplementary grants

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday gave his assent to the Annual Financial Statements and Supplementary Grants after the state government provided him with documents he had sought.

The state government will not be able to place the budget in the Assembly on February 10 without the governor's assent to the same.

Dhankhar accorded his nod after Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha met him at the Raj Bhavan in the evening with supporting documents, a Raj Bhavan statement said.

The state finance department had on January 10 sent two notes to the governor for his approval on the Annual Financial Statements and Supplementary Grants without any supporting documents.

"Governor Dhankhar had objected to this procedure and a communication was sent to the government on January 15 that without supporting documents it will not be constitutionally appropriate" to accord sanction, the statement said.

"There was no response to this communication for over three weeks and state Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra, who called on the Governor a few days ago, pressed for the sanction without documentation. The same did not find favour with the governor," it stated.

But on Friday, after taking note of the documents provided, Dhankhar gave his assent to the Annual Financial Statements and Supplementary Grants, according to the statement.

Prior to his meeting with the chief secretary, Dhankhar interacted with the three principal auditors general of the state.