Budget on March 15

Calcutta, Feb. 22: The fortnight-long budget session of the state Assembly will begin on March 8 and finance minister Amit Mitra will place the budget on March 15, Speaker Biman Banerjee said today.

According to a Writers’ official, the government might issue the notification for the panchayat polls within days of the budget being placed.

The government’s chief whip, Shovandeb Chattopadhaya, said some important bills might be tabled in the session. “A bill banning political parties from getting involved in students’ union elections is likely to be tabled among others. The bill on college polls is important because campus violence needs to be curbed,” he said.

Asked about the other bills, he pleaded ignorance. “We will come to know about the other bills only on March 8 when the Business Advisory Committee meets,” he said.

A Trinamul leader said the session would be limited to a fortnight because of the panchayat polls. “We will be busy preparing for the panchayat polls once the government issues the notification and sends it to the state election commission,” the Trinamul general secretary said.

“Trinamul leaders are expected to be questioned over alleged attacks on the CPM and the Congress in the districts in the past few months. The Garden Reach flare-up in which sub-inspector Tapas Chowdhury was shot dead allegedly by a Trinamul-backed goon is expected to top their list of issues,” a Writers’ official said.

Subhas Naskar, deputy leader of the Left Front in the House, said: “We will meet on March 8 to discuss our strategy against the ruling party.”

Congress’s Mohammed Sohrab said: “We are no more a part of the government. Our legislators will criticise the government for its anti-people policies.”

Source: The Telegraph