FM Nirmala Sitharaman presents Rs 1.42-trn J&K Budget in Lok Sabha

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented a Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha, amid demands from the opposition that it be given adequate time for studying the proposals.

Sitharaman also presented the supplementary demands for the year 2021-22 totalling Rs 18,860.32 crore for the Union Territory and moved a motion seeking suspension of certain rules to allow the House to take up the discussion on the same day.

Congress member Manish Tewari and RSP member N K Premachandran objected to the motion moved by Sitharaman, contending that that the Rule 205 formed part of the basic rules of procedure and cannot be waived.

Some rules are beyond the amending powers of the House, Tewari, a Congress member from Anandpur Sahib, said, arguing that the members required time to study the Budget proposals made by the government for Jammu and Kashmir.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the discussion will take place after two hours.

Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the Chair, said the business for the day was approved by Speaker Om Birla during the Business Advisory Committee meeting.

Tewari said the duty of the Lok Sabha gets compounded as it was assuming the responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature, which ought to have taken up the matter.

The government had not circulated the budget papers, he said while suggesting that the discussion be scheduled for Tuesday which would allow members to study the proposals and make reasoned arguments.

Premachandran, the member from Kollam, said the minister had also sought a discussion on the budget proposals and the supplementary demand for grants together, which would go against the rules.

Trinamool member Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the issue was discussed in the Business Advisory Committee and it was agreed that the discussion on the J-K Budget will be taken up two hours after the presentation.