Jharkhand Budget to be tabled on March 3, session likely to be stormy, BJP skips all-party meeting

Ranchi, Feb 24: The principal opposition party BJP did not participate in the all-party meeting called for the budget session of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly by the speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato on Thursday. 

The BJP’s absence from the all-party meeting, just a day before the budget session, has increased the possibility of the session being uproar. Legislature party leaders of all parties except BJP were present in the meeting. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam, Minister Satyanand Bhokta, CPI-ML MLA Binod Singh, Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav, Independent MLA Saryu Rai participated in the meeting.

 CM, Speaker, Minister and representatives of other parties involved in the all-party meeting.

Regarding BJP absent from the all-party meeting, Speaker Rabindranath Nath Mahto said that along with the ruling party, the opposition has an important role in the successful operation of the house. After all, for what reasons the BJP did not reach the all-party meeting, it is a matter of their party. On the other hand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam has expressed hope for successful operation of the House, describing the all-party meeting as a political practice.

The Jharkhand Government budget will be tabled in the House on March 3, while the budget session will commence on February 25. The month-long budget session will run till March 25, with 17 working days. The State Cabinet Secretariat has issued a notification in this connection.

The session is all set to be disruptive as BJP is all set to corner the state government over a host of issues including domicile policy, law and order, mob lynching and regional language row. 

Chief whip of the BJP and Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan said that the parties in power managed to grab the chair over fake promises. He said that in the name of jobs the youth were cheated while on the other hand under the protection of government illegal mining of sand coal and stone is happening in Jharkhand. He alleged that stones from Jharkhand are being sent to Bangladesh while law and order have completely collapsed in the state. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Aalam said that budget has been prepared to keep into mind the welfare and development of all the sections of the society. He said that treasury benches are not only responsible for running the house smoothly but those in opposition have also an equal role to play. He said that in a democracy both ruling and opposition parties are equal. Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta said that the government is ready to answer all the questions of the opposition provided they are willing to listen to the reply. To finalise their strategies Chief Minister Hemant Soren has called a meeting of the allies on Thursday evening in which apart from cabinet ministers, MLAs of the JMM, Congress and RJD will participate. On the other hand, the BJP has called its legislature wing meeting on February 27.