Budget session set to be stormy

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 27

This being the election year, the last budget session of the 12th Assembly, commencing on March 1, is likely to be animated with both opposition BJP and ruling Congress chalking out strategy to corner each other.

With the Assembly elections in the state due by the end of this year, both the parties would like to put their best foot forward to impress the electorate. The budget session will commence with the address of Governor Acharya Devvrat on the opening day on March 1. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will present the budget estimates for the year 2017-18 on March 10.

There will be a recess of nine days during the session from March 18 to March 26. The budget will be put to vote on March 30 and passed by the house the same day. So far a total 531 questions, including 396 starred and 165 unstarred, have been received by the Vidhan Sabha.

The BJP equipped with the charge-sheet prepared by its against the Virbhadra regime will try to raise allegations contained in it against the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs, chairmen and vice chairmen of boards and corporations and other leaders in the house. The BJP had submitted the charge-sheet against the Congress regime to the Governor on December 24.

“There has been rampant corruption during the Congress regime with land, forest, mining, transfer and liquor mafia flourishing due to the political patronage given by Virbhadra regime,” remarked Satpal Singh Satti, state BJP president. The BJP will also hit out at the government for opening schools and health institutions without making budgetary staff provision only to gain political mileage. The BJP has also been very vocal in accusing the Congress regime of unleashing political vendetta against BJP leaders and workers by misusing government machinery.

The Congress, on the other hand, will try to highlight the inconvenience faced by the common man to withdraw their own money from banks and ATMs to hit out at the BJP. The Congress has staged several demonstrations against demonetization and the issue is likely to echo in a big way in the Assembly also. The Congress also plans to raise the issue of reduced Central funding under various programmes that Himachal has got.

The Congress will also highlight its achievements during its four year rule and the various welfare schemes started by it for various sections including women, youth, employees, farmers and other weaker sections of society.