Budget to be cleared in record time

The Budget this year will be cleared in record time. The Finance Bill and the Appropriations Bill will be passed by the Lok Sabha before March 22, barely three weeks after the Budget was placed in the House.

Originally the session was to end on March 17 but it has been extended till March 22. All political parties have agreed that Budget discussions should be curtailed. The size of the Budget is around Rs 1,72,000 crore.

The decision to move forward the date of clearing of these Bills has been taken keeping in mind the impending Assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Pondicherry. Ministers of the UPA coalition and Left party leaders will be busy in elections leading to absenteeism in the House.

Thus, to ensure a full House at the passing of the Budget, the date has been moved forward.

"Ministers from Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Kerala will be scarce, many having excused themselves from roster duty because of tour programmes. Left MPs have also expressed their desire to expedite the passage of the Budget," said an official in the ministry of parliamentary affairs.

The usual procedure for clearing these Bills is to refer the demand for grants of various ministries to the different departmental standing committees. Two or more of these ministries' demands are taken up in the House for detailed examination and the reports of all others referred to the finance ministry.

This year, the demand for grants for all ministries will be considered by the Lok Sabha on the floor of the House with detailed discussions on the demand for grants for the ministries of home and agriculture.

"The departmental standing committees are free to meet in the interval of the Budget session and their reports can be considered by the finance ministry, but this will be after the Budget itself has been cleared," said an official attached with the Lok Sabha secretariat.