The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : BJP will not boycott discussion on budget: Ganesan

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

BJP will not boycott discussion on budget: Ganesan

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 22. The Bharatiya Janata Party will not boycott discussion on the budget in the Assembly but has demanded that the session be held for a longer duration.

The decision was taken today at a meeting of the party legislators here, which was attended by the national secretary (Tamil Nadu), L. Ganesan, and president of the State unit, C.P. Radhakrishnan.

According to the Karaikudi MLA, and the State unit general secretary, H. Raja, it was not proper to have such a short session for discussions on the budget.

"The Government can present another vote on account for a month more and arrange for a session running to 45 days," he said, adding that the BJP would present its views in the House.

Mr. Ganesan told presspersons that a few years ago, a conference of presiding officers of the State Legislature resolved that in a year, smaller States and union territories such as Pondicherry, hold sittings for 50 days and bigger States such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for 150 days. Assemblies in intermediate States such as Tamil Nadu should meet for 100 days a year. "During the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rule (1996-2001), the State Assembly met, on an average, for 80 days a year.

Session duration

In the current regime of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the number has, so far, been 40-45 days.

But, if the present decision is not changed, the Assembly would have met for 20 or 25 days this year after taking into account the possible duration of a monsoon session, which goes on for a week," he said.

Mr. Raja said if the practice of having short Assembly sessions continued people would lose faith in the Legislature.

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