Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

Finance bill to be taken up on April 25

BS Political Bureau

The Railway Budget will be passed on Friday and the finance bill will be considered on April 25. This was decided by the Speaker, GMC Balayogi, at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha, after it became clear that neither the government nor the biggest opposition party, the Congress were in a mood to resile from their respective positions, leading to an impasse in the Lok Sabha.

At the one-hour long BAC meeting, the Speaker is believed to have persuaded the committee to at least draw a "tentative business schedule" to run the house. This move has put the Speaker, a Telugu Desam member, in the clear because he has managed to defend his responsibility as the presiding officer of the Lower House.

The Speaker was not happy at the government's stand that the Budget should be rammed through without any discussion as soon as possible.

As per this schedule, after taking up the Railway Budget on Friday, the government will take up demands for grants for the rural development ministry on April 23 and divestment on April 24. The finance bill will be taken up for on April 25. At the meeting, the Congress continued with its belligerent approach.

Having turned down the government's proposal to co-operate with the government on its constitutional duty of passing the rail Budget and finance bill, Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy said the two issues - passage of bills and demand of JPC on Tehelka and criminal proceedings against those culpable in the case could not be delinked.

The Congress leadership made it clear that the party MPs could not be expected to co-operate with the government on Railway Budget even on Friday.

But sources in the government maintain that with drawing up of schedule by the BAC, the government may go ahead with the business despite protests by the Congress.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan admitted that though there was no precedent in Parliament to get the finance bill passed amid uproar, the blame must squarely lie on the Congress for creating such a situation.

The Congress leadership, on its part, continued its insistence for two demands, which the government has once again ruled out from conceding.

In another significant development, the government has back-tracked from its suggestion that Parliament be adjourned from April 27 to enable non-Congress opposition parties to participate in election campaigns of five state assemblies.

The Congress has steadfastly opposed the suggestion. The parliamentary affairs minister clarified that there was no such move to adjourn Parliament, which would continue its budget session till May 11.

Congress strategists feel that the party leadership is not in a mood to concede ground to the government till assembly elections are over.

The "splendid isolation" of the Congress on the issue is seen by party-managers as an attempt to project the party's distinct identity in these elections, sources say.

Powered by

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
The Rediff-Business Standard Special
The Budget 2001-2002 Special
Money
Business News

Tell us what you think of this report