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Rail Budget passed without debate

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

For the first time in parliamentary history, the Lok Sabha on Friday passed the 2001-02 Railway Budget without any discussion amidst pandemonium, with Congress and RJD vociferously demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the defence scandal.

As soon as the House reconvened at 1500 hours, the Congress deputy parliamentary party leader Madhavrao Scindia told Speaker GMC Balayogi that the government should rise to the occasion and constitute a JPC because of the seriousness of the situation.

"There is give and take in democracy, and the government cannot exercise absolute power and decline the JPC. I appeal to the government to take a statesman-like approach and constitute the JPC," Scindia said.

However, the Speaker appealed to the Opposition members that the railway budget was an important matter which should be immediately taken up.

At this juncture, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan pointed out that the Congress's contention of give and take in democracy did not mean the party asking for a JPC or its stalling parliamentary proceedings.

"It is just take and take," Mahajan said eliciting cheers from the treasury benches.

The Congress members, however, once again rushed to the well of the House and began shouting slogans, including 'Yeh tamasha bandh karo, bandh karo'.

However, the Speaker took up the Railway Budget, which was then passed by the treasury benches by a loud voice vote.

The entire procedure took only 15 minutes after which the Speaker adjourned the House till Monday.

CPI-M members, led by Sunil Khan, staged a walk out protesting against passage of the budget without any debate.

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The Railway Budget 2001-2002

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