Wednesday, June 29, 2011

JS passes Taka 163,589 crore national budget for FY 2011-12

The budget got through the Jatiya Sangsad without opposition participation in the proceedings as BNP and its allies have been on a House boycott all through the session.

As the main opposition BNP remained absent, their cut motions sent in the House were not moved for discussion.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith introduced the Appropriations Bill 2011 seeking permission for the government to spend up to a maximum amount of Tk 232,464 crore 8 lakh 59,000 in FY 2011-12, the highest amount ever granted for appropriations from the exchequer.

The “gross budget”, which is about 28 percent bigger than that of the outgoing fiscal year, was passed at 2:25pm by overwhelming voice vote as the Grand Alliance Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has a three-fourths majority in the 345-member parliament.

On June 9, Finance Minister AMA Muhith had placed in parliament the Tk 163,589-crore main budget for the fiscal 2011-12, which got through without much change.

Meanwhile, the parliament Tuesday passed the Finance Bill-2011 by voice vote, with a major provision allowing investment of black money in the share market.

Discussion was held on the budget for 49 hours and 13 minutes.

A total of 53 demands for grants and 689 cut motions were placed in the session. The cut motions were guillotined in railroading the budget. “Discussion was held on only a few proposals moved by independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim,” says a firsthand account of the House proceedings. It adds: “The absence of the opposition made the process of passing the budget very quick.”

The vetting report on the Fifteenth Constitutional Amendment Bill 2011 was also placed in parliament Wednesday, before House approval to the budget, with a new provision for pre-election interim political administration to replace caretaker government.

Indications are rife that the amendment bill, providing for a modified restoration of the country’s post-independence 1972 constitution, could be passed in the current session braving the opposition BNP threat of a resistance movement.

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