Amidst controversy and walkout by BJP, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today passed the general budget for 2016-17 and the related Appropriation bill, authorising the state government to incur expenditure of Rs 34,738.72 crore from consolidated fund.
The House debated the demands in respect of roads and bridges, education and health and the remaining demands were passed without discussion after Speaker BBL Butail applied guillotine.
TheRs 1,421.87 crore deficit for budget for 2016-17was presented by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on March 8.
Confusion prevailed during passing of the budget as the BJP members claimed that they had not withdrawn the cut motions and these were accepted by default, claiming this implies that the government had fallen.
Amid pandemonium, the BJP members staged a walkout after the Speaker categorically said that the cut motions had been rejected by the House and the budget passed with majority vote in the absenceof BJP members.
The chief minister said the budget was passed with all 41 members present in the House voting in favour of the budget.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh said that the cut motions had been rejected by the House by majority and accused BJP of creating confusion.
Talking to mediapersons outside the House, Leader of the Opposition P K Dhumal said that "technically the government has fallen as our cut motions were neither withdrawn nor rejected.
