FM flays BJP for disrupting Vote on Account
Amid protests by opposition members, the Rajya Sabha today passed the Appropriation Bill by voice vote, completing the first phase of the budgetary exercise.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Amid protests by opposition members, the Rajya Sabha today passed the Appropriation Bill by voice vote, completing the first phase of the budgetary exercise.
The passage of Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2007 by the upper house will enable the central government meet expenditure till the general Budget for 2007-08 is passed by Parliament. The Vote on Account was approved by Lok Sabha last week.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while moving the Bill, sought Rs 3,94,156 crore from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet government expenses for part of 2007-08.
The minister also sought Rs 3,86,337 crore from the Consolidated Fund to meet supplementary expenditure for 2006-07.
FM criticises BJP for disrupting reply to Vote on Account
Criticising the BJP for disrupting his reply to the Vote on Account in Rajya Sabha today, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the party's action had made a "mockery" of Parliamentary democracy.
"I condemn this action of BJP, which has reduced Parliamentary democracy to a mockery", he told reporters outside Parliament house after the vote on account was passed.
"This is a part of a deliberate design of BJP to have its say and not allow others to have their say", he said.
Chidambaram said former Finance Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was allowed to make a lengthy intervention for one hour on the matter and no other party was allowed to speak.
Not even "the government was allowed to reply", he said.
The passage of the vote on account (Appropriation Bill, 2007) would help the government meet expenditure till the General Budget for 2007-08 is passed by Parliament.
The passage of Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2007 by the upper house will enable the central government meet expenditure till the general Budget for 2007-08 is passed by Parliament. The Vote on Account was approved by Lok Sabha last week.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while moving the Bill, sought Rs 3,94,156 crore from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet government expenses for part of 2007-08.
The minister also sought Rs 3,86,337 crore from the Consolidated Fund to meet supplementary expenditure for 2006-07.
FM criticises BJP for disrupting reply to Vote on Account
Criticising the BJP for disrupting his reply to the Vote on Account in Rajya Sabha today, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the party's action had made a "mockery" of Parliamentary democracy.
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"I condemn this action of BJP, which has reduced Parliamentary democracy to a mockery", he told reporters outside Parliament house after the vote on account was passed.
"This is a part of a deliberate design of BJP to have its say and not allow others to have their say", he said.
Chidambaram said former Finance Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was allowed to make a lengthy intervention for one hour on the matter and no other party was allowed to speak.
Not even "the government was allowed to reply", he said.
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The passage of the vote on account (Appropriation Bill, 2007) would help the government meet expenditure till the General Budget for 2007-08 is passed by Parliament.
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