Budget passed in house amid walkout by Cong
The state assembly passed the budget for the year 2024-25 amid walkout by opposition Congress MLAs. The state government presented a budget of ₹89,230 crore for the year 2024-25 in the House on Tuesday — with an increase of ₹11,343 crore from the last year’s Budget (revised estimates).
The Congress MLAs first raised slogans against the government and came into the well of the House and subsequently staged a walkout.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Yashpal Arya while speaking to reporters after coming out of the House said, “The government suppressed their voices in the house but they can’t suppress their voices outside the House. We will struggle, fight on the roads.” After passing of the budget, Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan adjourned the house sine die.
Meanwhile, before the annual budget was passed, Congress MLAs also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state after a girl’s body was recovered near MLA hostel in Dehradun’s Nehru Colony area.
According to the Nehru Colony police station, the body of the girl was found on Thursday. Her body has been sent for post-mortem after which the cause of her death will be ascertained and whether she was sexually assaulted before death.
LoP Arya, mentioning the matter to the Chair when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Mohammad Shahzad was delivering his speech during the discussion on the Budget, initially alleged that the girl had been raped and murdered near MLA hostel.
Arya said Opposition MLAs had earlier sought the government’s attention on the deteriorating law and order situation.
“On the day when the President was in the capital, a dacoity of ₹20 crore took place. Criminals have no fear whatsoever. The case is yet to be solved...no action has been taken against the concerned officials. We said a flood of murders, rape cases have taken place and gave district-wise data. The sensitivity has died...,” he said.
“Today, a minor girl, a native of Bihar was found dead under mysterious circumstances near MLA hostel. Hopefully, the government will get some conscience after the postmortem report,” he said.
Congress MLA from Chakrata Pritam Singh said if such incidents would take place in Dehradun in broad daylight then no one would feel safe.
“We raised the issue of deteriorating law and order in the state. It was the duty of those in power to strengthen the law and order. But the government didn’t learn any lesson from the past incidents. Incidents occur but no action is taken,” he said.
State finance minister Premchand Aggarwal said, “It is an unfortunate incident. As per the information so far, the girl used to work in a flat on Race Course Road for the last 2-3 months. According to the owner of the house where she worked...he and his driver came downstairs and didn’t find the girl. On searching, she was found hanging in the room. She was taken to the Coronation Hospital where she was declared dead by the doctors.” He said strict action would be taken if there was any culprit.
BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli in whose constituency Dharampur the incident took place said it is not clear whether the girl has been murdered after rape or she died by suicide. Strict action will be taken in the matter, he said.