Don't implement budget: J&K speaker

Jammu and Kashmir assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta on Wednesday suspended the orders of the state finance minister on implementing the budget for 2016-17 till it is passed by the house.

During question hour in the state assembly, opposition MLAs led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had implemented all his budget proposals on the day he presented it in the assembly.

Drabu said his orders followed the presentation of the budget by other state governments and the union government.

Opposition MLAs said if the budgetary proposals come into force even before they are discussed and approved by the legislature, then where does the logic lie of discussing it in the house.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sat Sharma also sided with the opposition, although the BJP is a ruling alliance partner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Gupta finally ruled that all orders passed by the finance minister on implementing the budget proposals will remain suspended till the legislature approves them.

--IANS

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