Bhopal: The 31-day budget session of the state Vidhan Sabha, which begins from Monday, will have 18 sittings. This will be last budget session of the House before the state goes to polls at the fag end of the year. The session will begin with the address of the Governor Anandiben Patel. The annual budget for FY ’19 will be presented on February 28. The session is likely to be stormy against the backdrop of the bitterness and trading of charges that informed the campaigning for the Kolaras and Mungaoli bye-elections.
The Congress will primarily focus on the problems of the peasantry. Besides the loss to the crops due to hailstorm, the shortcomings in the Bhavantar Scheme will be the main opposition’s ammo to attack the government with. The issue of farm loan waiver would also be raised prominently. The MLAs have already submitted 5,292 questions to the Assembly Secretariat.
The Congress is likely to put the government in the dock over three ministers – Jalam Singh Patel, Lal Singh Arya and Surendra Patwa – facing criminal charges. The first three days of the session are unlikely to witness any discussion or debate. The first day would be consumed by Government’s address, on the second day, the House will be adjourned after obituary references and on the third day, the budget will be presented.
The House would re-assemble on March 7 after Holi vacations and that it when the opposition is likely to come out with all guns blazing. The outcome of the twin bye-elections would also affect the flavour of the discussions. Leader of opposition Ajay Singh said that the pitiable state of the farmers and the migration due to drought would be raised by the party.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Narottam Mishra said that the government was ready to discuss whatever the opposition wants to, provided the debate is positive and serious. He said that the government would table many bills to enact laws in public interest in the session. Speaker Dr Sitasharan Sharma has convened an all-party meeting in connection with the session on Monday evening.