In Puducherry, a budget without a proper government

Within weeks, the Puducherry government will present its first Budget since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned to power. A maiden Budget is more than a statement of accounts; it is a government’s first declaration of priorities — a blueprint for development, welfare, infrastructure, and governance for the coming year.

Yet Puducherry approaches this constitutional exercise under extraordinary circumstances. Even though more than two months have passed since Chief Minister N. Rangasamy of the All India N. R. Congress (AINRC) took oath on May 13, 2026, the Union Territory (UT) still has no portfolio allocation. Every Minister has taken the oath of office, but none has been assigned responsibility for a department. Moreover, the Legislative Assembly has also not been designated a permanent Speaker. The Budget, thereby, risks becoming the first casualty of an incomplete government.

Every department contributes to the Budget. Ministers review expenditure, approve new schemes, defend departmental priorities, and remain accountable before the Assembly for the money they seek. In their absence, a fundamental question arises: who is making these decisions? The prolonged delay has naturally fuelled speculation that the issue is no longer administrative but political.

The continued delay in portfolio allocation, the absence of a permanent Speaker, and uncertainty surrounding other key institutional appointments have only strengthened the perception that power-sharing within the NDA remains unresolved. Neither the AINRC nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have explained why a sworn-in Cabinet continues to function without responsibilities.

The Speaker’s position illustrates the problem. Puducherry continues under a Protem Speaker even as the Budget session draws near. A permanent Speaker is not a ceremonial appointment postponed at convenience. The office safeguards legislative procedure, presides over debates, interprets Assembly rules, and ensures that the Budget receives proper scrutiny.

The continued delay sends the wrong signal about the government’s preparedness.

Absence of governance

Puducherry’s governance structure has always been more complex than that of a full-fledged State. The elected government shares executive space with the Lieutenant Governor, whose constitutional powers have frequently been subjects of dispute. Successive governments have experienced friction with the Raj Nivas over appointments, administrative authority, and policy implementation. Mr. Rangasamy himself recently criticised sections of the bureaucracy, remarking that many officers posted to Puducherry treat the UT as a temporary “vacation posting.” If the Chief Minister himself believes bureaucratic accountability is weak, the absence of Ministers exercising political oversight becomes even harder to justify.

Meanwhile, governance cannot be suspended. Traffic congestion continues to worsen across the city. Power disruptions remain a recurring public complaint. And with the northeast monsoon only months away, drainage and flood preparedness deserve immediate review. Every one of these sectors requires Ministers to make decisions and answer to the public.

The Opposition parties in the Assembly have also been remarkably subdued. A government entering its first Budget without portfolios and a permanent Speaker amid persistent administrative uncertainty should ordinarily face sustained legislative pressure. Instead, criticism has been sporadic and fragmented. Democracy depends not only on governments willing to govern but also on Oppositions willing to scrutinise.

Supporters of the government may argue that coalition consultations take time. That explanation may have been acceptable immediately after the election. It is considerably less convincing after more than two months. Citizens are not interested in internal negotiations over portfolios; they want to know who is responsible for transport, education, health, electricity, finance, and public works.

Before deciding where public money should go, the NDA government must first answer a simple question: has it finished deciding who is responsible for governing?

The author is an architect and urban policy researcher based in Puducherry.