Pranab to reply to debate on Budget (stage-1) on July 14

New Delhi, Jul 10: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will reply to the debate on the general budget (stage-1) in the Lok Sabha on July 14. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters here today that the Business Advisory Committee meeting has taken a decision to this effect.

The discussion on general budget will start in Rajya Sabha on July 13 and will be concluded on the next day.

The Lok Sabha will take up the Jharkhand Budget on July 14, he added.

The Upper House will take up the Jharkhand Bills on July 16.

He said the BAC has also decided that at least demands for grants of five Ministries should be taken up for discussion in Lok Sabha and if possible more. Keeping this in mind it has been decided to take up the demands for grants of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Food, Human Resource Development, Home, Defence and Power.

Similarly, in Rajya Sabha it has been decided to take up the demands for grants of Health and Family Welfare, Social Justice and Empowerment, Communication and Information Technology, Road Transport and Highways and Environment and Forest, he said.

He said the Guillotine will be issued on July 23 for the passing of the Demands for grants of the rest of the Ministries.

The Bill for Right to free and compulsory education for children will be taken up in the Lok Sabha during this session, he said.

Mr Bansal said the Lok Sabha will take up the Finance Bill on July 24 and 27, while in Rajya Sabha it will be taken up on July 26.

All financial business will be completed by July 29, he said.

The Lok Sabha will constitute 16 Standing committees in which the Congress will have the Chairman in six, BJP in four, and one in each for DMK, All India Trinamool Congress, JD-U, SP, BSP and Left parties and these are expected to be completed soon.

In the case of Rajya Sabha, 8 Standing committees will be constituted of which Congress will have the Chairmanship in three of them, BJP in two and CPI(M), AIADMK and SP one each.

He said the work on the allotment of rooms to the political parties will soon be completed but it is the prerogative of the Speaker.

Responding to a question on the tabling of the Liberhan Commission report, the Minister said it will be laid in Parliament only after the completion of the Action Taken Report (ATR).

UNI