CM to hold pre-budget discussions with MLAS

KHATTAR, WHO ALSO HOLDS THE FINANCE PORTFOLIO, SAYS GOOD SUGGESTIONS OF LEGISLATORS CAN BECOME PART OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATES

CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said he will hold pre-budget discussions in the House during the budget session of the state assembly in order to include suggestions of MLAS in the budget proposals.

Speaking in the concluding session of the two-day training programme for MLAS, Khattar said earlier discussions on the budget estimates used to be held after presenting it in the Vidhan Sabha.

The CM, who also holds the portfolio of finance, said he wanted to know the views of MLAS before presenting the budget so that good suggestions of the public representatives could become a part of the budget estimates.

And to ensure active participation of the people in the development process of the state, he said, he has so far held six prebudget meetings with different stakeholders. The chief minister also said he wanted to discontinue the irrelevant schemes and utilise their funds in other welfare schemes. He said during the last five years as many as 86 sittings of the Vidhan Sabha were held during 15 sessions.

The CM said he wanted to increase the House sittings to 100 in coming five years.

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla appreciated Khattar’s initiatives to hold pre-budget discussions in the Vidhan Sabha before presenting it and to increase the number of Vidhan Sabha sittings. Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, social justice and empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria, Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta and former chief minister and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda also spoke on the occasion.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa presented the vote of thanks.