Decision on appropriation bill today

MUMBAI, AUGUST 2: The stalemate over passage of the Appropriation Bill in the State Legislature may end on Thursday when the ruling Democr...

MUMBAI, AUGUST 2: The stalemate over passage of the Appropriation Bill in the State Legislature may end on Thursday when the ruling Democratic Front (DF) and opposition Shiv Sena-BJP meet to discuss the issue in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Upper House.

Legislative Council Chairman N S Pharande today directed the two sides to discuss the issue in the meeting of the BAC as the informal talks between the two sides bore no fruit. The opposition Sena-BJP, which enjoys a majority in the Upper House, has already announced that it would make recommendations to the bill and that it should not be passed in its present form.

In case, they make recommendations to the bill, the State Government would be forced to to call a special session of the Assembly to reject the recommendations and approve the bill. The ruling DF is also contemplating on non-introduction of the bill in the Council.

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Raising the issue again on the floor of the Council today, Opposition Leader Nitin Gadkari expressed apprehensions on the possibility of the State Government winding up the session without allowing the legislators to discuss the money-bill.

However, when Pharande directed the two sides to call a meeting of the BAC today, Gadkari expressed his inability to attend the meeting. Instead, he rushed to Pune to present a memorandum to Governor Dr P C Alexander urging him not to allow the Government to prorogue the session till the money-bill was discussed.

Though the EC’s media invitation did not specify the subject, officials said the briefing would pertain to the SIR schedule. (File)

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