Will the Bengal Assembly Budget Session Schedule Change Due to CM Banerjee's Supreme Court Hearing?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, Feb 5 (NationPress) The timing of the Budget Session in the Assembly may undergo alterations to accommodate the visit of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to New Delhi on February 9. She is slated to participate in a significant hearing regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) at a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on that date.
Originally, February 9 was anticipated to mark the conclusion of the Budget Session. However, a preliminary decision suggests that February 7, falling on a Saturday, could now serve as the final day of the session.
Typically, Assembly sessions do not convene on Saturdays, except in rare instances. “Given the exceptional nature of the Chief Minister’s participation in the hearing at the apex court, it is likely that the Budget Session will conclude on February 7,” stated a member of the Trinamool Congress legislative team.
It’s noteworthy that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday and actively engaged in the proceedings.
The West Bengal Minister of State for Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, will present the interim budget (vote on accounts) in the Assembly at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.
During this ongoing Budget Session, the Treasury Bench is set to introduce two special motions within the Assembly.
The first motion will address the ongoing SIR in West Bengal, while the second motion will focus on condemning the actions of central investigation agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) operating within the state.
The second motion holds particular significance in light of recent controversies surrounding the ED’s simultaneous raid and search operations at the Indian Political Action Committee's (I-PAC) Salt Lake office and the home of I-PAC’s co-founder, Pratik Jain in central Kolkata.
As these operations were underway, Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by senior bureaucrats and police officials, visited both locations consecutively, retrieving numerous files and electronic documents.
The matter is currently awaiting a hearing at the Supreme Court.