SHIMLA, July 21: Committee system for passing of the budget estimates for the year 1998-99 came into being today when the chairmen of the eight standing committees of the House submitted their reports after a week-long scrutiny of the budget.The committee system was introduced this year. Committees were set up by Speaker Gulab Singh Thakur to study the proposals and submit their reports.The entire Opposition was absent from the House when the reports of the House committees were presented in the House by the heads of these committees. Congress members had earlier walked out of the House following ruckus over issue of loans raised by the previous government.Des Raj, who headed the SC and ST Committee submitted the report of his committee. He was followed by Chander Sen who headed the committee on agriculture.Rikhi Ram, chairman of the Tourism Committee, Ram Dass Malangar, chairman of the Revenue Committee, Mohan Lal, chairman of the Committee on General Administrative Department, M. R. Mandyal, chairman of the Education Committee and Rajan Shushant, chairman of the Health and Family Welfare Committee submitted their reports.Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda who also holds the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs said the committee system would further strengthen the democratic system. He said though it was decided to introduce the system three years ago, but the ruling party had been suspending the relevant rule. He said credit went to Speaker Gulab Singh and the leader of the House Prem Kumar who introduced this system from the current year.Nadda said this system had enabled the members to have their say in the budget process and to give their priorities in various schemes. Otherwise, the various demands were hurriedly passed after the imposition of guillotine and the cut motions tabled by the members were not taken up. Top
