Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill 2016-2017 for Rs 40,422 crore

The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill 2016-2017 for Rs 40,422 crore even as BJP legislators staged a walkout protesting against the decision of the Congress-led government to allow one of its senior MLAs Nav Prabhat to preside over the no-confidence motion against Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal. The government failed to bring around the Opposition

MLAs, who staged a hurried walkout after the no-confidence motions against Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal and Deputy Speaker AP Maikhuri fell. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh reintroduced the Appropriation Bill, which was unanimously passed by a voice vote.

Hridayesh, while making a statement on the necessity of the budget, spoke about the the need to bring the vote of account. “The vote of account was passed by a voice vote on March 18 but it did not receive approval of the Governor who reserved his decision and sent it to the President for further action. However, still there was no response. The government is reintroducing the Bill after seeking the Governor’s approval in the interest of the state and to implement welfare schemes though these issues along with those pertaining to March 18 were still pending in the Supreme Court,” she said.

The vote of account for Rs 13,000 crore brought by the Central government for the expenditures of the state will last till July 31. It will be assimilated in the budget of Rs 40,422 crore passed today.

The Legislative Assembly also passed the Uttarakhand Residential University Bill 2016, the Uttarakhand Consolidation of Holdings and Provision Bill, 2016 and the Uttarakhand Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Bill, 2016.

 Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill 2016-2017 for Rs 40,422 crore