Cut motion: Congress issues whip

Bracing up for opposition's plans of a cut motion to the Demands for Grants, Congress has issued a three-line whip to its members in the Lok Sabha for the entire next week and has asked its allies to follow suit. The debate on Demands for Grants is scheduled to be completed by April 27 evening when the guillotine will be applied to it.

Congress sources said a three-line whip has been issued to its MPs asking them to be present during the period and vote in favour of the Demands. Demand for Grants of External Affairs, Defence, Rural Development, Tribal Affairs, Road, Transport and Highways and Water Resources ministries are being taken up for discussion. The discussion on the finance bill is expected to be held on April 28 and 29 and government would seek its passage on April 30, thereby completing the budgetary exercise for 2010-11.

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Bharatiya Janata Party and several other opposition parties have decided to move cut motion to press for a rollback of the hike in prices of petroleum products and fertilizers. BJP has already stated that it was in touch with other like-minded parties for floor coordination for the cut motions. Though the cut motions are not likely to be passed, BJP and other parties feel the exercise is necessary to "embarrass the government" which has shown "growing arrogance" since it returned to power last year.