The first Budget Session of the new Congress Government in Punjab would be held from June 14 to 23.
After taking the reins from the SAD-BJP combine, the Congress Government is expected to make some major announcements in its maiden budget — to be presented on June 20 — on employment, farming crisis, mafias, social welfare, among others.
The dates for holding the first budget session of the current House was taken on Wednesday by the State Cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
The Cabinet decided to recommend to the Punjab Governor VP Singh Bandore summoning of the second session of the Assembly from June 14 to June 23.
The session would begin on June 14 at 2 pm with obituaries. The discussion on the Governor’s address would be held on June 16 and June 19, as per the schedule approved by the Cabinet.
Finance Minister Manpreet Badal is expected to make some major announcements, covering Congress party’s pre-poll promises, including farm debt waiver, providing employment opportunities by announcing employment schemes for youth, among other things.
Other than that, several important bills are also expected to be tabled for House’s nod.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the Cabinet would once again meet this week, possibly on Saturday, to give a go-ahead to the budget proposals, and the Bills.
The Chief Minister has already indicated that several important decisions, with financial implications, will be announced during the budget session to fulfil some key poll promises of his government.
Capt Amarinder had recently said at an event that a whopping 140 decisions had already been taken by his government, while promises involving financial issues had perforce to be deferred till the budget session.
He reiterated his commitment to ensure implementation of every single promise made by his party in the run-up to the assembly elections.
AAP says session too short
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday maintained that six-day time is too less to discuss “public matters of utmost importance” in the ensuing session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
“How can duration of six days for Vidhan Sabha session be sufficient when public matters of utmost importance are up for discussionIJ” asked AAP MlA and the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha HS Phoolka, and said new session for Vidhan Sabha had been announced from June 14 to 23.
The session will start at 2 pm on June 14, and generally no business is conducted on the first day, Phoolka said.
He said: “Full days of session are scheduled on June 15, 20, 21 and 22, while business will be conducted for half days on June 16, 19 and 23. As a result, only six days are left for session to be conducted.”
It is too short a session especially when matters of public importance like discussion on Governor’s address, budget allocation for the financial year, farmers suicide, loan waiver, government jobs, drugs, poor result of education boards and favoured auctioning of sand mines are to be discussed and debated, said Phoolka.
AAP leader said that three days have been kept for discussion on Governor’s address leaving only two days’ time for other matters which is not at all justified.
He said that the State Government has failed to fulfil its promises and therefore, does not want discussion on these important matters and key issues and wants to run away from debate on public matters.