The State Assembly passed the third Supplementary Budget seeking Rs2,069.68 crore on Saturday amid ruckus created by Opposition MlAs over amendments in the CNT and SPT Acts.
The fifth day of the Budget Session of the Assembly saw no discussion and debate on listed and important issues, except protests over the land Bills and the customary exercise of passing Bills by the ruling alliance. The day began with protests and ended with the same.
As the House began in the morning, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Roy tabled the Jharkhand Economic Survey Report in the House but the JMM legislators came in the well of the House holding placards against the CNT, SPT Acts. They started shouting slogans and eventually Speaker Dinesh Oraon adjourned the House for three hours.
Again at 2 PM, when the House reassembled JMM legislators Champai Soren, Kunal Sarangi, Jaiprakash Bhai Patel, Sita Soren and other came in the well holding placards and shouting slogans – “Sarkar ki manmani nahi chalegi… CNT, SPT Act me Sanshodhan wapas lo, wapas lo.” Speaker Dinesh Oraon tried to pacify the legislators but they sat on the well.
Opposition leader Hemant Soren, MlAs Stephen Marandi, Joba Manjhi, Congress MlAs Sukhdeo Bhagat and Alamgir Alam also joined the chorus echoing the voice from time to time.
Meanwhile, JVM leader Pradeep Yadav who had proposed a cut motion against the demand for grants said that he would take back his proposal only when nine of his demands, including revoking amendments of land laws and CBI probe in Iron Ore lease renewal are considered by the Government.
Eventually, the Supplementary Budget was passed by the House amid much noise as BJP’s RK Kishore and Anant Ojha had to request the Speaker to bring back order or provide headphones to MlAs in House. The budget was though passed with voice votes.
Presenting the Government’s reply on the budget, Roy said that the economy of the State was on a very positive line and the Opposition should begin solving issues by dialogue and discussions. “If we do not solve State’s issues through dialogues, we would fail to bring development here,” he said.
Congress legislature party leader Alamgir Alam raised the issue of revoking the suspension of four MlAs. However, Speaker Dinesh Oraon adjourned the House till Monday. The Ethics Committee was scheduled to hold a meeting today on the issue as senior leaders of both parties had expressed that the incident was unfortunate and was not planned.
However, a couple of MlAs among the suspended four -- Shashi Bhushan Samad, Paulis Surin, Amit Mahto (JMM) and Irfan Ansari of Congress, went on live television discussions openly challenging the members of ethics committee and their credibility.
“I don’t think the suspension would be revoked as of now. It is totally upon the discretion of the Speaker, who seems to be in no mood to revoke the suspension. The guilty persons should have this much values not to say foul words against fellow members out in the open,” said Ethics committee member RK Kishore.
“In the legal system one has to pay for one’s crime. You cannot send someone else to say sorry for what you have done,” added Kishore.