Cong govt’s maiden Budget on June 20

Chandigarh : The maiden Budget session of the Congress government will be held from June 14 to June 23, with the presentation of the state’s Budget for 2017-18 expected on June 20.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh here today. It asked the Governor and the Speaker to summon the second session of the Assembly.
Finance Minister Manpreet Badal said after the Cabinet’s recommendation, the Business Advisory Committee of the Vidhan Sabha would take the final call on the number of days of the session and the date for presenting the Budget. Several crucial Bills and amendments to the legislation will be tabled during the session. Another Cabinet meeting has been called on June 13 to discuss the Bills and other issues. “The ‘White Paper’ on the performance of the previous SAD-BJP government will be presented ahead of the Budget,” said Manpreet.
The issue of budgetary provision under the debt waiver scheme for marginal scheme was also discussed. “Funds for debt waiver will be part of the Budget provisions. The report of the expert committee dealing with farm loan waiver, headed by Dr T Haque, will be submitted ahead of the session,” confirmed Manpreet.
The government has already hinted at announcing several important decisions with financial implications during the session. The CM has called a CLP meeting on June 13 to make floor strategy. Certain ministers and MLAs would be tasked with countering the Opposition.
Duration of Budget session too short: AAP
Chandigarh: Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka on Wednesday said the duration of the Budget session was “too short” to discuss matters of public importance. The state government will hold the Budget session of the 15th Punjab Assembly from June 14 to June 23. “The duration of the session is too short, especially when matters of public importance such as discussion on the Governor’s Address, budgetary allocation for the fiscal, farmer suicides, loan waiver, government jobs, drugs, poor result in board exams and favoured auctioning of sand mines,” Phoolka said in a statement. The session would start at 2 pm on June 14 and generally no business was conducted on the first day, he added. PTI