Annual Budget Demands for Grants worth Rs 1 lakh crore passed by invoking guillotine
   Date :27-Mar-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
RAIPUR,
 
Owing to the threat of spread of Novel Corornavirus COVID-19 infection, the Annual Budget Demands for Grants worth approximately Rs 1 lakh crore for the financial year 2020-21, were passed by invoking guillotine. It is first time that guillotine has been invoked in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly for passage of Budget demand grants. Earlier, all departmental Budget demand grants for the financial year 2020-21 was also passed by guillotine.
 
Also 28 Amendment Bills were passed by invoking guillotine. Later, Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant declared the Sixth Session (Budget Session) of Fifth Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, adjourned sine die. As the House resumed on Thursday after it was adjourned on March 16, rich tributes were paid to all 17 security personnel who were martyred during the recent Naxal attack in Sukma. Thereafter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Choubey moved the proposal for passage of departmental budget demand grants, Annual Budget Demands for Grants and subsequently the Appropriation Bill along with 28 Amendment Bills through invoking guillotine.
 
Although the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party agreed to the passage of budget demand grants by invoking guillotine but it had strong objection to the passage of all 28 Amendment Bills by invoking guillotine. They maintained that since these Bills after passage would become law, these shouldn’t be passed without holding discussions as there are many clauses among these Amendment Bills where there is a situation of disagreement.
 
However, since the decision was already taken in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Business Advisory Committee meeting held before commencement of the House, that the Budget Demands for Grants, Appropriation Bill and 28 Amendment Bills would be passed through guillotine, ‘Division of Votes’ was demanded by the Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik on the Business Advisory Committee meeting report. In the Division of Votes, 57 votes were received in favour of the report while 14 votes were received against it. On the basis of Division of Votes, the Business Advisory Committee Report was approved and implemented. Enraged as the Amendment Bills were passed through guillotine, the opposition BJP staged Walkout.
 
Each year, after the Budget is presented in the floor of the House by the Finance Minister, the House has the opportunity to discuss the financial proposals contained in it. The process of deliberations on the Budget sets off with a general discussion followed by the Vote on Account, debating and voting on the Demands for Grants and finally, consideration and passing of the Appropriation and Finance Bills. Guillotine refers to the exercise vide which the Speaker of the House, on the very last day of the period allotted for discussions on the Demands for Grants, puts to vote all outstanding Demands for Grants at a time specified in advance.
 
All outstanding Demands for Grants must be voted by the House without discussions once the guillotine is invoked. Later while announcing the Sixth Session (Budget Session) of Fifth Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, adjourned sine die, Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant said the Session which commenced from February 24, 2020 and was scheduled to continue till April 1, 2020, had to be concluded in this way owing to the threat of global pandemic Novel Corornavirus COVID-19. This is first time since the inception of the state that guillotine has been invoked for the passage of Annual Budget Demands for Grants in Chhattisgarh.
 
The Speaker urged the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik and the Members of the House to remain committed towards collective initiative towards fighting Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 and hoped that the state of Chhattisgarh and the whole country will become free from this global pandemic. He also severely criticised the Naxal incident which had taken place recently at Sukma wherein 17 brave security personnel were martyred. He called upon one and all to collectively fight this global pandemic COVID-19, so much so that the efforts contribute towards saving the entire humanity not limiting to the boundaries of state or country.