New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Finance Bill 2020 with a voice vote as the threat of a potential infection from the Covid-19 virus led the members to urgently pass the important law.
The Bill, which is also called Budget 2020-21, authorizes the Union government to incur the expenditure for the next financial year beginning next month. After the passage of the Budget the house was adjourned for an indefinite period.
The amendments moved by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were passed by a voice vote without any debate except two interventions by the Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK leader TR Baalu who demanded announcement of a relief package to deal with the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
Several opposition members also moved their amendments but all of them were negated by voice votes without much protest from the opposition.
“The Finance Bill 2020 as amended has been passed,” announced the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla following a voice vote.
Read more:Covid-19 Pandemic: What should the RBI do?
However, before the passage of the Finance Bill 2020, principal opposition party, the Congress and its ally DMK, demanded announcement of a financial package to deal with the financial difficulties caused to the people due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus that has crippled the health system, stock markets and economy of several countries across the globe.
“You get the bill passed, please get all the amendments passed. We have no issue but I will request the finance minister to announce a financial package,” said Adhir Ranjan Choudhury while intervening in the amendments moved by the Prime Minister Modi’s government.
DMK member TR Baalu also demanded the announcement of a financial package.
“Speaker sir, through you I request the finance minister that a proper financial package should be extended to deal with the impact of coronavirus,” said the DMK leader.
“The people of India are expecting that there will be some financial assistance from the government. That is why we want that the government must announce a financial package before the passage of the finance bill,” demanded Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
It led to noisy scenes in the house prompting the Lok Sabha speaker to remind the opposition benches about the agreement reached by all major parties that given the situation, the finance bill will be passed without a debate.
“I had a discussion with all the floor leaders and given the situation of the country, all of them have assured me that it will be passed without a debate,” Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla told the opposition members as they pressed for announcement of a financial package before the passage of the bill by the lower house.
“You are right, But we will raise our demands, the government will have to at least listen to our demands,” said Adhir Ranjan Choudhary in the Lok Sabha.
Financial Relief Package Delayed
In his televised national address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the constitution of an Economic Response Task Force (ERTF) under the chairmanship of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to work out a financial package.
However, the Union government has not yet constituted the task force so far but given the urgency of the situation, the finance ministry has started consultation with the stakeholders.
"The task force has not yet been constituted but given the urgency of the situation we have been meeting with stakeholders. And these inputs will go to the task force when it is constituted," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said last week following her meetings with the ministry of civil aviation, ministry of tourism, MSME ministry and the ministry of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries.
She had said that the government would soon come up with a financial package to deal with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Report by Krishnanand Tripathi)
