The vote-on-account for four months amounting to Rs 16,048.74 cr tabled by Finance Minister Prakash Pant on Monday was passed by the Assembly on Tuesday, clearing the decks for the State Government to meet the expenses for the time before a budget is passed.
Congress MlA Qazi Nizamuddin said in the House the Opposition was entitled to bring cut motions even on the vote-on-account as per the norms if the House is seeking it for more than two months. Pant countered Nizamuddin, saying that despite the Opposition being entitled to raise cut motions, they had not cared to give prior notice for them.
The vote-on-account was passed in the post-lunch session with the Opposition refraining from insisting on bringing cut motions. Pant said that till the Rs 48,441.65 crore budget is passed, Rs 16,048 crore vote-on-account would enable the State Government to meet the expenses for the next four months starting from April 1.