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Himachal’s budget session: Opposition stages walkout
The CM said financial mismanagement by the previous government had caused the deteriorating fiscal health of the state
Dissatisfied with chief minister Jai Ram Thakur’s response to the discussion on the budget, the Opposition staged a walkout from the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.
As soon as the CM started to reply to the debate, leader of opposition Mukesh Agrihotri asked him to reduce VAT rates on petrol and diesel. “The leader of opposition said the chief minister is also silent on the issue of inflation. There is no clarity regarding the implementation of the sixth pay commission.”
Later, members of the Congress staged a walkout. The CM completed his response in absence of the Opposition.
Thakur blamed the previous Congress government for fiscal mismanagement. “Our government has inherited a debt burden of ₹50,000 crore from the previous regime. Had the previous government had not taken this loan, the present government would not have needed to do so either. This government has raised loans within the limits set by the Reserve Bank of India.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, he said financial mismanagement by the previous government had resulted in the ever deteriorating fiscal health of the state. The government has made provisions in the budget for the unemployed, employees and the poor.
In his speech, he flayed the Opposition for using inappropriate words while mentioning names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur presented the budget for the upcoming financial year 2021-22 on March 6 in the state assembly. The budget was discussed from March 8 and 34 members of the Opposition participated in the discussion
Earlier, the CM had introduced the Himachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Amendment Bill in the House. After the passage of the amendment bill, the government can take loans up to 5% of state’s gross domestic product. Currently, this loan limit is 3%.
Members of the Opposition criticised the amendment saying the government was going to increase the right to borrow after the amendment. Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri and Communist Party of India (CPI) MLA Rakesh Singha opposed the amendment to the FRBM Act.
Even before the CM had introduced the amendment bill in the House, leader of opposition Mukesh Agrihotri questioned the intentions of the government. He said that the ease with which the CM was introducing the bill is not really the case.
He said it did not bode well that the limit for taking loans was being increased by 3-5%. He said the government was continuously taking loans, due to which the financial situation of the state was deteriorating. He demanded that the CM to withdraw the Bill immediately, instead of promulgating it.
