New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23. The Rs.1.42 lakh crore budget was presented amid demand by the Opposition parties that they are given adequate time to study the proposals of the budget.
The Union Finance Minister also presented the supplementary demands for 2021-22 totaling Rs18,860.32 crore for Jammu and Kashmir. She also moved a motion urging that some rules be suspended so that the House can start the discussion on the budget on the same day. However, it was opposed by Congress MP Manish Tewari and RSP MP N K Premachandran. They argued that Rule 205 was part of the basic rules of procedure which cannot be waived.
Tiwari said that the House does not have the power to amend certain rules adding that the MPs needed time to study the proposals made in the budget for Jammu and Kashmir. Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the Chair during the discussion, said that the business for the day was approved by Speaker Om Birla during the Business Advisory Committee meeting.
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the discussion will take place after two hours after the budget was presented. However, Tewari argued that the duty of the Lower House gets compounded because it was assuming the responsibility Jammu and Kashmir legislature, which ought to have taken up the matter.
Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that the matter was discussed during the Business Advisory Committee and it was agreed that the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir would be taken up two hours after it was presented.
(With agency inputs)
