Parties ready for fiery Budget session

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 10

The Budget session of the state Vidhan Sabha, which begins on Tuesday, is likely to witness a high-voltage drama. Politics is likely to be played to the full as each party will try to vie with each other to gain limelight ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

While the Amarinder government is expected to highlight their achievements, including in the Governor’s address on Tuesday, the Opposition parties are expected to tear its claims to pieces. The government will be highlighting the successful implementation of the crop loan waiver scheme; attracting investors; the announcements with regards to regularising illegal colonies and constructions for urban masses; and giving concessions to Dalits in power bills among others.

On the other hand, the Akali Dal is expected to aggressively take the government head-on the issue of high power tariff for socially backward classes;  rise in farmer suicides and no compensation being paid to them; large-scale unemployment, besides illegal mining being rampant across the state. Sources in both the Akali Dal and the BJP have told The Tribune that they are also preparing to take on the government over the poor fiscal condition and the delay in release of four instalments of dearness allowance. 

Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema told The Tribune that they would be “exposing” the government on the issue of high power tariffs, with consumers being charged up to Rs 60 per unit. “We have already started an agitation and will bring it up for discussion in the House. No loan waiver has been extended to Dalits in two years, despite the government making a budgetary provision for the same. The scam of placements in the ghar ghar naukri scheme will also be exposed,” he alleged. 

On sacrilege, Cheema is expected to demand that the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission report on firing incident and desecration in Nakodar in 1986 be tabled in the House. He said they would also highlight the government “failure” in controlling private transport companies.