PUDUCHERRY: The budget session of the Puducherry Assembly will begin on Thursday with the customary address of Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh. The session is expected to be a truncated one, though Opposition parties are pressing for a 20-day session. The duration, among other things, will be decided at the Business Advisory Committee meeting, just after the session. Already, a vote on accounts has been passed for the first six months and the new schemes that will be announced in the budget will get just six months’ time for implementation in the current year.The AIADMK legislature party, which met earlier in the day, announced that it would function as a responsible opposition and press the government to fulfil its electoral promises, ensure proper implementation of ongoing schemes and maintenance of law and order.The Congress legislature party met with six MLAs on Wednesday evening at the party office. The members are expected to bring up the issue of retrenchment of 3,000 workers engaged by the previous government and modification of some of the schemes of the new government.The session is expected to witness a lot of debate on the financial crunch faced by the UT. Chief Minister N Rangasamy, now a seasoned veteraan, has to rely more on himself as two of his ministers - PML Kalyanasundaram and NG Paneerselvam - are first-time ministers. On the other hand, the Congress has six heavyweights, except for Thirumurugan, who is a first-time MLA from Karaikal. The AIADMK, with five members, is determined to use its position to seek a resolution in the Territorial Assembly for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka, on the lines of the Tamil Nadu Assembly.However, the advantage for Rangasamy is the fact that the DMK is a Congress ally and that the Congress would not want to directly support the AIADMK.Rangasamy and his men are also expected to cash in on the differences between Congress MLAs, during the session. The budget is likely to be presented on August 24.
Comments
0 comment