The Budget Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly commenced on Friday, with finance minister Rameshwar Oraon tabling the supplementary budget for the third time. Oraon presenting the supplementary budget said that the session focused on discussing important allocations and priorities for the state's development. To address urgent needs and strengthen key sectors, a supplementary budget of Rs 4,981 crores was presented in the assembly.
The House will have a discussion on the supplementary budget with the annual budget of the Champai Soren government will be presented on February 27. Earlier, the budget session of Jharkhand Assembly commenced today. The session will have seven working days and conclude on March 2. February 24th and 25th will observe Saturday and Sunday as holidays. Discussions on the third supplementary budget will take place on Monday, February 26th. The budget for the financial year 2024-25 will be presented in the Assembly on February 27th.
Oraon tabled the Rs 4,981 crore third supplementary budget amid ruckus created by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Displaying pamphlets demanding a CBI probe into Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination paper leak, the opposition MLAs trooped into the well after the House assembled for the day.
As soon as the House assembled for the seven-day assembly session, BJP legislators and AJSU MLA Lambodar Mahto trooped into the well, seeking a CBI probe into the leak of the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination paper on January 28. The state government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to carry out a probe.
The examination body was in the news this year after the JSSC paper leak. JSSC CGL 2023 was scheduled on 28 January 2024. However, the question paper was leaked even before the examination was conducted.
On February 6, the Jharkhand government announced the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT), to probe the leakage case.
Few days back, former Director General of Police (DGP) Neeraj Sinha, who was appointed as Chairman of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), resigned from his post citing personal reasons. The JSSC chairman had resigned from the post when the examination body was facing investigation into the leakage of combined graduate-level examination question papers.
Leader of Opposition Amar Bauri said, "The state government brought a law to prevent cheating in job examinations. Despite this, such a major paper leak took place. So, we demand a CBI probe into the paper leak case".
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto urged the agitating legislators to go back to their seats saying these issues will be taken up during the session but MLAs kept protesting.
The Speaker told the House that there would be seven sittings during the session, in which the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal will be tabled.
The Speaker also introduced and congratulated two new ministers--Basant Soren and Deepak Birua--in the House who became ministers in Champai Soren cabinet expansion recently.
The House after about 40 minutes of proceedings including obituary references was adjourned till February 26.
The members observed silence in memory of personalities like eminent jurist and veteran advocate Fali Sam Nariman, legendary radio announcer Ameen Sayani, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Ustad Rashid Khan.
