Amid the ruckus by the opposition BJP, the second supplementary budget of Rs 8,111.77 crore for 2023-24 was tabled in Jharkhand Assembly on Monday.
As the House assembled around 11am, saffron party legislators trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans against the Hemant Soren-led JMM government in the state.
The opposition, led by BJP chief whip Biranchi Narayan, demanded a debate on the recovery of unaccounted cash from the premises linked to Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu and ED summons to Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Leader of the Opposition, Amar Bauri, said the issues of cash haul, ED summons and deteriorating law and order were the state’s burning issues.
‘’The CM took oath of office and secrecy. He should honour the summons of a central probe agency. The way CM is avoiding the central agency is not a good example. We want a debate in the House why this government should not go and why shouldn’t the CM resign from his post?’’ Bauri said.
Replying to this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said the opposition is doing politics by raising issues which are not the matter of discussions in the House.
‘’It is a family business of Sahu but only his name is being raised. Income Tax department has not submitted any official statement on the recovery and raids, but the BJP is raising the issue,’’ he said.
‘’As far as ED summons are concerned, the CM is replying to the probe agency,’’ he said.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto said the House should avoid issues which are not linked to the assembly. He requested the agitating legislators to go back to their seats but they did not pay heed and continued to protest, which forced the speaker to adjourn the House till 12.30 pm.
When the House resumed at 12.36pm amid uproarious scenes by the opposition, Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon tabled the second supplementary budget for 2023-24.
Out of the Rs 8,111.77 cr supplementary budget, major share of Rs 1,413.34 crore has been allocated to rural works department, Rs 1,403 crore to drinking water and sanitation department and Rs 1,099.3 crore to rural development department.
JMM legislator Sudivya Kumar said, ‘’Thr Centre is trying to sell forests to the capitalists, which we protest. Forests belong to the tribals and it should remain with them. We demand protection of forests,’’ he said.
