Amid disruptions, Centre may initiate process for passage of budget

NEW DELHI: With the whole of last week's parliamentary proceedings having been washed out without transacting any business, owing to disruptions by treasury benches and opposition members, Government only has two weeks to get the Union budget for 2023-2024 passed in Parliament.

As per norms, the Union budget needs to be passed in both Houses of Parliament before the end of financial year, i.e. prior to March 31, 2023. Therefore, in the forthcoming week starting from Monday, government may try to get the process of budget clearance started. Normally, demands for grants for some key ministries like railways and agriculture are taken up for discussion and voting in Lok Sabha. After these are voted for, since there is no time to take up demands for grants for each and every department, the Speaker applies guillotine on all such outstanding demands for grants, and they are put up for voting, whether discussed or not. Once this is done, the government introduces the Appropriation Bill, seeking approval for withdrawing funds from the Consolidated Fund of India. After this bill is passed, it becomes the Appropriate Act. After voting on Appropriation Bill, the finance bill is taken up for consideration.

According to sources, government on Monday may try to take up for discussion and voting, demands for grants for railway ministry for 2023-24 in Lok Sabha. Apart from this, Lok Sabha may also take up a general discussion on the budget for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24. In addition to this, discussion and voting on the demands for grants for Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24 may also be taken up this week. If at all Lok Sabha manages to function smoothly, it may also take up discussion and voting, the supplementary demands for grants for Jammu and Kashmir for 2022-23. The government will also try and get the Parliament's approval for the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2022-23. IANS