BUDGET
Presentation of Budget
204. (1) The Annual Financial Statement or the Statement of the Estimated
Receipts and Expenditure of the Government of India in respect of each
financial year (hereinafter referred to as 'the Budget') shall be presented
to the House on such day as the President may direct.
(2) The Budget shall be presented to the House in such form as the Finance
Minister may, after considering the suggestions, if any, of the Estimates
Committee, settle.
No discussion on day of presentation
205. There shall be no discussion of the Budget on the day on which
it is presented to the House.
DEMANDS FOR GRANTS
206. (1) A separate demand shall ordinarily be made in respect of the
grant proposed for each Ministry, provided that the Finance Minister may
include in one demand grants proposed for two or more Ministries or Departments
or make a demand in respect of expenditure which cannot readily be classified
under particular Ministries.
(2) Each demand shall contain first a statement of the total grant proposed
and then a statement of the detailed estimate under each grant divided
into items.
General discussion on Budget
207. (1) On a day to be appointed by the Speaker subsequent to the day
on which the Budget is presented and for such time as the Speaker may allot
for this purpose, the House shall be at liberty to discuss the Budget as
a whole or any question of principle involved therein, but no motion shall
be moved nor shall the Budget be submitted to the vote of the House.
(2) The Finance Minister shall have a general right of reply at the
end of the discussion.
(3) The Speaker may, if he thinks fit, prescribe a time limit for speeches.
Voting of demands for grants
208. (1) The Speaker shall, in consultation with the Leader of the House,
allot so many days as may be compatible with the public interest for the
discussion and voting of demands for grants.
(2) On the last day of the allotted days at 17.00 hours or at such other
hour as the Speaker may fix in advance, the Speaker shall forthwith put
every question necessary to dispose of all the outstanding matters in connection
with the demands for grants.
(3) Motions may be moved to reduce any demand for grant.
(4) No amendments to motions to reduce any demand for grant shall be
permissible.
(5) When several motions relating to the same demand for grant are offered,
they shall be discussed in the order in which the heads to which they relate
appear in the Budget.
Cut motions
209. A motion may be moved to reduce the amount of a demand in any of
the following ways:-
(a) 'that the amount of the demand be reduced to Re.1/-' representing
disapproval of the policy underlying the demand. Such a motion shall be
known as 'Disapproval of Policy Cut'. A member giving notice of such a
motion shall indicate in precise terms the particulars of the policy which
he proposes to discuss. The discussion shall be confined to the specific
point or points mentioned in the notice and it shall be open to members
to advocate an alternative policy;
(b) 'that the amount of the demand be reduced by a specified amount'
representing the economy that can be effected. Such specified amount may
be either a lump sum reduction in the demand or omission or reduction of
an item in the demand. The motion shall be known as 'Economy Cut'. The
notice shall indicate briefly and precisely the particular matter on which
discussion is sought to be raised and speeches shall be confined to the
discussion as to how economy can be effected;
(c) 'that the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs.100/-' in order
to ventilate a specific grievance which is within the sphere of the responsibility
of the Government of India. Such a motion shall be known as 'Token Cut'
and the discussion thereon shall be confined to the particular grievance
specified in the motion.
Admissibility of cut motions
210. In order that notice of motion for reduction of the amount of demand
may be admissible, it shall satisfy the following conditions, namely:-
(I) it shall relate to one demand only;
(ii) it shall be clearly expressed and shall not contain arguments,
inferences, ironical expressions, imputations, epithets or defamatory statements;
(iii) it shall be confined to one specific matter which shall be stated
in precise terms;
(iv) it shall not reflect on the character or conduct of any person
whose conduct can only be challenged on a substantive motion;
(v) it shall not make suggestions for the amendment or repeal of existing
laws;
(vi) it shall not refer to a matter which is not primarily the concern
of the Government of India;
(vii) it shall not relate to expenditure charged on the Consolidated
Fund of India;
(viii) it shall not relate to a matter which is under adjudication by
a court of law having jurisdiction in any part of India;
(ix) it shall not raise a question of privilege;
(x) it shall not revive discussion on a matter which has been discussed
in the same session and on which a decision has been taken;
(xi) it shall not anticipate a matter which has been previously appointed
for consideration in the same session;
(xii) it shall not ordinarily seek to raise a discussion on a matter
pending before any statutory tribunal or statutory authority performing
any judicial or quasi-judicial functions or any commission or court of
enquiry appointed to enquire into, or investigate any matter:
Provided that the Speaker may in his discretion allow such matter being
raised in the House as is concerned with the procedure or stage of enquiry,
if the Speaker is satisfied that it is not likely to prejudice the consideration
of such matter by the statutory tribunal, statutory authority, commission
or court of enquiry; and
(xiii) it shall not relate to a trivial matter.
Speaker to decide admissibility
211. The Speaker shall decide whether a cut motion is or is not admissible
under these rules and may disallow any cut motion when in his opinion it
is an abuse of the right of moving cut motions or is calculated to obstruct
or prejudicially affect the procedure of the House or is in contravention
of these rules.
Notice of cut motions
212. If notice of a motion to reduce any demand for grant has not been
given one day previous to the day on which the demand is under consideration,
any member may object to the moving of the motion, and such objection shall
prevail, unless the Speaker allows the motion to be made.
Presentation of Budget in parts
213. Nothing hereinbefore contained shall be deemed to prevent the presentation
of the Budget to the House in two or more parts and when such presentation
takes place, each part shall be dealt with in accordance with these rules
as if it were the Budget.
Vote on Account
214. (1) A motion for vote on account shall state the total sum required
and the various amounts needed for each Ministry, Department or item of
expenditure which compose that sum shall be stated in a schedule appended
to the motion.
(2) Amendments may be moved for the reduction of the whole grant or
for the reduction or omission of the items whereof the grant is composed.
(3) Discussion of a general character may be allowed on the motion or
any amendments moved thereto, but the details of the grant shall not be
discussed further than is necessary to develop the general points.
(4) In other respects, a motion for vote on account shall be dealt with
in the same way as if it were a demand for grant.
Supplementary etc. grants and votes of credit
215. Supplementary, additional, excess and exceptional grants and votes
of credit shall be regulated by the same procedure as is applicable in
the case of demands for grants subject to such adaptations, whether by
way of modification, addition or omission, as the Speaker may deem to be
necessary or expedient.
Scope of debate on supplementary grants
216. The debate on the supplementary grants shall be confined to the
items constituting the same and no discussion may be raised on the original
grants nor policy underlying them save in so far as it may be necessary
to explain or illustrate the particular items under discussion.
Token grant
217. When funds to meet proposed expenditure on a new service can be
made available by reappropriation, a demand for the grant of a token sum
may be submitted to the vote of the House and, if the House assents to
the demand, funds may be so made available.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Procedure regarding Appropriation Bill
218. (1) Subject to the provision of the Constitution, the procedure
in regard to an Appropriation Bill shall be the same as for Bills generally
with such modifications as the Speaker may consider necessary.
*1[(2)
*** *** ***]
*2[The debate on an Appropriation
Bill shall be restricted to matters of public importance or administrative
policy implied in the grants covered by the Bill which have not already
been raised while the relevant demands for grants were under consideration.]
(3) The Speaker may, in order to avoid repetition of debate, required
members desiring to take part in discussion on an Appropriation Bill to
give advance intimation of the specific points they intend to raise, and
he may withhold permission for raising such of the points as in his opinion
appear to be repetitions of the matters discussed on a demand for grant
or as may not be of sufficient public importance.
(4) If an Appropriation Bill is in pursuance of a supplementary grant
in respect of an existing service, the discussion shall be confined to
the items constituting the same, and no discussion shall be raised on the
original grant nor the policy underlying it save in so far as it may be
necessary to explain or illustrate a particular item under discussion.
*3[(5) The Speaker may, if he thinks fit,
prescribe a time limit for speeches.]
FINANCE BILL
Procedure regarding Finance Bill
219. (1) In this rule "Finance Bill" means the Bill ordinarily
introduced in each year to give effect to the financial proposals of the
Government of India for the next following financial year and includes
a Bill to give effect to supplementary financial proposals for any period.
(2) At any time after the introduction in the House of a Finance Bill,
the Speaker may allot a day or days, jointly or severally, for the completion
of all or any of the stages involved in the passage of the Bill by the
House, and when such allotment has been made, the Speaker shall *4[may,
at the specified hour] on the allotted day or the last of the allotted
days, as the case may be, forthwith put every question necessary to dispose
of all the outstanding matters in connection with the stage or stages for
which the day or days have been allotted:
Provided that if a Minister has a right of reply to the debate on the
motion which is under discussion *5[an
hour before the specified hour] and has not commenced his reply at that
hour, the Speaker shall inquire how much time not exceeding one hour he
requires for his reply, and shall call upon any member for the time being
addressing the House to resume his seat at such time as will leave available
before *6[the
specified hour] the amount of time which the Minister has stated that he
requires for his reply.
(3) Where the question or one of the questions required by sub-rule
(2) to be put at *7[the
specified hour] on the allotted day or the last of the allotted days is
that the Bill be passed, sub-rule (2) shall have effect notwithstanding
that amendments to the Bill have been made.
(4) Subject to the proviso to sub-rule (2), the Speaker may, if he thinks
fit, prescribe a time limit for speeches at all or any of the stages for
which a day or days have been allotted under that sub-rule.
(5) On a motion that the Finance Bill be taken into consideration, a
member may discuss matters relating to general administration, local grievances
within the sphere of the responsibility of Government of India or monetary
or financial policy of Government.
(6) In other respects the rules applicable to Bills in Chapter X of
these rules shall apply.
GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING FINANCIAL BUSINESS
Business that can be taken up on day allotted for financial business
220. Notwithstanding that a day has been allotted for financial business
under rules 207, 208, 218 or 219, a motion or motions for leave to introduce
a Bill or Bills may be made and a Bill or Bills may be introduced on such
day before the House enters on the business for which the day has been
allotted.
Timely completion of financial business
221. In addition to the powers exercisable under these rules, the Speaker
may exercise all such powers as are necessary for the purpose of the timely
completion of all financial business including allotment of time for the
disposal of various kinds of such business, and where time is so allotted,
he shall, at the appointed hour, put every question necessary to dispose
of all the outstanding matters in connection with the stage or stages for
which time has been allotted.
Explanation.- Financial business includes any business which the Speaker
holds as coming within this category under the Constitution.
[For rules relating to Committees on Public Accounts, Estimates and
Public Undertakings, see Chapter XXVI of these rules.]
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[*1] Omitted
by L.S. Bn. (II), dated 9-5-1989, para 2930.
[*2] Renumbered ibid.
[*3] Ibid.
[*4-*7]
Sub. by L.S. Bn. (II) dated 9-5-1989, para 2930.