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Thursday, Aug 26, 2004

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National

Parliament session may conclude after approving Finance Bill

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI. AUG. 25. The Budget session of Parliament is likely to conclude prematurely after both the Houses go through the formality of approving the Finance Bill which will give effect to the taxation proposals of the Government. The unrelenting standoff in Parliament has already cast its shadow on the session, with the Lok Sabha today approving the Demands for Grants worth Rs. 8,61,000 crores without a discussion.

Standard practice

As a part of the compromise formula worked out between the ruling combine and the Opposition, and approved by the floor leaders of all the major political parties, the financial business will be disposed of without a discussion. Though it has now become standard practice to guillotine the demands for grants of some of the Ministries, this will be one of the few occasions when the Finance Bill is passed without any debate.

The move met with some resistance on the floor of the House from the Left parties with Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and V. Radhakrishnan (CPI-M) voicing their disapproval. As soon as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, got up to seek the permission to suspend question hour in order to pass the demands for grants Mr. Dasgupta protested. "We are extremely distressed with what is happening," he said.

`Posterity will judge us'

He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of holding the House to ransom and urged the Government not to succumb.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that it was a sad day for parliamentary democracy that the demands for grants were being passed in such a manner. "We were not sent by the people for this purpose,'' he said and staged a walk out to register his protest. The Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, appeared far from happy and gave expression to his feelings. "I wish I could support those opposing the move but I have a duty to perform. Nobody is happy with what is happening. Posterity will judge us whether what we are doing is good for the country or not," he said.

Earlier as soon as the House met, Mr. Azad moved a resolution seeking approval to suspend question hour and to take up the essential financial business listed for the day. After the suspension of question hour, Mr. Azad moved another resolution that all the demands for grants of various Ministries for 2004-05 and the relevant Appropriation Bills be put to vote. The House passed the relevant appropriation Bills by voice vote within minutes.

The Finance Bill will be taken up and passed tomorrow and the Lok Sabha is expected to be adjourned sine die soon after.

Railway Budget

The Railway Budget got the Parliamentary seal of approval today after the Rajya Sabha returned relevant Appropriation Bills without discussion. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Monday, again without discussion or debate.

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