The house passes the vote on account of Rs 21,117 crore; Congress stages walkout on price rise
Thursday, 31 March 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The first session of the fifth elected Assembly of Uttarakhand was adjourned sine die by the speaker Ritu Khanduri on Wednesday after the passage of the Uttarakhand Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill-2022 of Rs 21,116.81 crore. Amid a walkout of Congress party members on the issue of price rise the house also passed the vote of thanks motion on the address of governor. The proceedings of the house started on the day with a condolence motion on the death of former members of the house. Speaking on the condolence motion the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid glowing tributes to the former speaker and member of house Harbans Kapoor. He said that Kapoor’s life is an inspiration for everyone. Tributes were paid to Kapoor by Yashpal Arya, Pritam Singh, Prem Chand Agarwal, Satpal Maharaj, Madan Kaushik, Munna Singh Chauhan and many members of the house.
In other business of the house on the day the Congress MLA Pritam Singh raised the issue of the price rise under rule 58. He said that in the last eight days the prices of diesel and petrol have been increasing every day. He said that the government has affected a whopping increase of Rs 25 per litre in bulk purchase of diesel which would have a cascading effect on the price rise. He said that in the year 2014 the international price of crude was $ 106.52 to $ 132 per barrel but the then Congress party government restricted the price of petrol at Rs 71.41 and diesel at Rs 55.71 per litre. Other members of the Congress party also attacked the government on the price rise and said that the common public is reeling under skyrocketing prices.
The Congress MLA from Bajpur, Yashpal Arya raised the issue of delay in payment of paddy farmers. He said that the wheat crop is ready to be harvested but the government has not set up the purchase centres. Jaspur MLA Adesh Singh Chauhan said that the government has not declared the MSP and bonus on wheat. He said that delay in payment is pushing farmers to borrow money at high interest rates. Nanakmatta MLA Gopal Singh Rana said that the interests of farmers are getting hurt by middlemen. In her reply the Food and Civil Supplies minister Rekha Arya said that all preparations have been made for the upcoming Rabi season from April 1. She said that 99 per cent payment of the farmers have been done.
