The Jharkhand Assembly today presented a supplementary budget of Rs 1214.94 crore four days ahead of annual budget to be tabled in the House. The Hemant Soren government will table its first budget on March 3.
Parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam on Friday presented the supplementary budget amidst sloganeering of BJP members demanding Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto to accord Leader of Opposition (LoP) chair to BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi. Alamgir Alam said, “The supplementary budget was brought in as funds are needed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.”
The budget session commenced on Friday at the new Assembly building. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto and parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam inaugurated the budget session by unveiling the plague at the entrance of Assembly building.
The plague is opposite to inaugural plague to Assembly building which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then chief minister Raghubar Das on September 12. On September 12, Modi inaugurated the Jharkhand assembly building and laid the foundation stone for the Secretariat complex. The PM described the building as a temple of democracy where the dreams and aspirations of the people of Jharkhand will come true.
Jharkhand state assembly being dedicated to the nation nearly two decades after the State was formed. The foundation stone of the building was laid on June 12, 2015 by Chief Minister Raghubar Das, and it has been completed in record time. Built at an approximate cost of Rs. 465 crores, the complex is spread across an area of 39 acres.
The Assembly has two statues with main entrance having the statue of Birsa Munda while the back entrance has the statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee under whose tenure the state was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
The three-storeyed building which will run on solar energy and have means of water harvesting and energy conservation is an amalgamation of modern architecture and traditional art.
However, the MLAs on the first day listed out some of the shortcomings in the Assembly.
BJP MLA CP Singh drawing the attention of speaker demanded earphones on each table of lawmakers. Singh said, “I am seeing that earphones are provided only to speaker, leader of house and leader of the opposition. MY request is that such earphones should be available at all the tables.”
Though the first day of assembly session passed with BJP MLAs demanding Leader of Opposition chair for Babulal Marandi, sources said that Assembly is going to witness uproar is coming days as BJP MLAs will continue with the demand.
BJP state vice president Pradeep Verma said that by not recognizing Babulal Marandi the post of Leader of the Opposition, Speaker is flouting the established political norms, despite Marandi being elected as BJP legislative party leader. Verma said that it appears that Speaker is acting on the pressure of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Verma said that there is complete administrative vacuum in the State as naxal incidents have gone up in State.
