Budget session 2023: BJP walks out from Assembly on 1st day
Shimla, March 14
On the first day of budget session, opposition BJP brought an adjournment motion seeking discussion on the witholding of MLA Vidhyak Nidhi and later walked out from the house on the issue. Soon after obituary reference in the assembly BJP member Vipin Parmar raised the issue through point of order alleging that Rs two crore MLA fund was stopped by the State government after coming in the power.
He said that nine members moved adjournment motion under rule -67 therefore Speaker should allow the discussion on it suspending the entire proceedings today. He said that last installment of 2022-23 financial year was not being released. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu replying to issue said that previous Goverment opened so many colleges and Goverment institutions recklessly without financial provision many of them are denotifed by the government. He said that Goverment college was opened in Panchayat Bhawan.
He said that Goverment was not stopping Vidhyak Nidhi but was halted for sometime. He said that Goverment would come out with white paper. Previous Government implemented recommendation of sixth pay commission but did not release the installatment to Employees. Adding that,Goverment announced Rs 912 Crore of DA to Employees and pensions but didn’t release it.
He said that State is under whooping debt how could government carry forward the institution announced without Budget provision.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that Goverment is continuing process and it was ritual that new government could not run off the liabilities created by Previous Goverment.
Thakur hailed the decision of increasing charges of Himachal Pradesh Bhawan at Chandigarh and Delhi for MLAs as it was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1200 per person.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu replying said that Employees and officer who go to tour as goverment servent it is not correct to raise the finger on working of Goverment officers. He said that Member of opposition and ruling wants MLA funds but it was not possible without having enough financial provision. He said that opposition members are in distress after losing power recently.
Earlier replying on the issue Paralimentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said that government would get the copy of motion as it was submitted to speaker this morning.
Randhir Sharma of BJP said that issue related to people as institutions of MLAs are being deprived from the funds allocated to them in Budget provision.
Replying on the issue Deputy Chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that it was first time when issue related to rights and privileges of member of Assembly was raised by opposition in the house however earlier members issues was discussed in the chamber of Speaker Chamber. He said that Jai Ram Thakur Government never allowed members related issue to raise in the house.
Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania rejecting the adjournment motion said that three members of the house also raised this issue in the house for considering during questions hour. Earlier not satisfying on the government reply over MLA funds BJP member walked out from house.