Earlier, the government had decided to field finance minister Pranabh Mukherjee to reply to the discussion, but then opted to delay the debate till new minister Mukul Roy assumes charge.
A precariously placed UPA government facing crisis after crisis with political compromises used an ingenious way on Monday to avoid any discussion on the rail budget: It included a year-old inconclusive debate in the Lok Sabha agenda for the day.
Earlier, the government had decided to field finance minister Pranabh Mukherjee to reply to the discussion, but then opted to delay the debate till new minister Mukul Roy assumes charge.
To avoid an embarrassment and to consume time, UPA strategists dusted off an inclusive discussion under Rule 193 on ‘widespread discontentment among the working class due to faulty government policies’ raised by CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta on March 24, 2011. Dasgupta himself had forgotten the issue, till he was told in the morning that the issue he had raised a year ago would be discussed threadbare instead of the rail budget.
The discussion on railways finances will start now on Tuesday, followed by a reply by the new rail minister.
Analysts believe that the government, which survived a vote on the amendment on the NCTC, was exposed to fragility, as its House managers could not muster the support of 272 MPs in the House.
The Congress party’s own strength in the Lok Sabha is 206.
While delaying discussion on the rail budget in the Lok Sabha, UPA’s crisis managers put off prime minister’s reply to the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha by a day. It is not slated to be voted in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday afternoon.
The Rajya Sabha arithmetic has made the government jittery. Even if the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BSP repeat the feat by walking out, the government still will not be able to muster majority to defeat the amendment listed in the name of Opposition leader Arun Jaitley.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}