Budget Approval & Other Grants - Indian Parliament shyam institute

6. Money Bill Approval / Financial Bill Approval (ద్రవ్యబిల్లు ఆమోదం / ఆర్థికబిల్లు ఆమోదం)

• The proposal for taxes formulated by the Indian government to raise funds for the next financial year is this Financial Bill.
• This revenue section in the budget is called the Money Bill.
• Amendments can be proposed during the approval of the 'Money Bill'. Government revenue comes in the form of taxes.
• According to Article 265, taxes should not be levied without legal sanction. Hence, only when the Lok Sabha approves, the government has the opportunity to levy taxes and raise revenue.
• By the time this process concludes, the month of June begins. Therefore, to provide the government with flexibility to collect taxes in the meantime, the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act (Temporary Tax Collection Act) was enacted in 1931.
• According to this Act, the Financial Bill should be approved within 15 days.
• The budget process concludes with the approval of the Money Bill in this manner.

Budget and Approval of Other Grants (Funds) (బడ్జెట్తో పాటు ఆమోదించే ఇతర గ్రాంట్లు (నిధులు)):

• Apart from the budget, which contains general income and expenditure estimates, Parliament also approves some other grants in certain special circumstances.

1. Supplementary Grants (అనుబంధ గ్రాంట్లు) - Article 115(1)(a):

• If the funds approved by Parliament through the Appropriation Bill for a specific service in the current financial year are insufficient, additional funds are approved through Supplementary Grant.

2. Additional Grants (అదనపు గ్రాంట్లు) - Article 115(1)(a):

• If expenditure needs to be incurred on any new service during the current financial year, that expenditure is sanctioned by Parliament in the form of Additional Grant.

3. Excess Grants (ఎక్సెస్ గ్రాంట్స్) - Article 115(1)(b):

• If expenditure exceeds the amount sanctioned by Parliament for a service, Excess Grant is the grant approved by the Lok Sabha with the prior approval of the Public Accounts Committee after the financial year ends.

4. Exceptional Grants (అసాధారణ గ్రాంట్లు) - Article 116(1)(c):

• Exceptional Grant is the grant sanctioned for expenditures that are not part of any service in the current financial year and are for a special purpose.

5. Token Grant (నామమాత్రపు గ్రాంట్):

• Token Grant is approved if the proposed expenditure for a new service can be met through re-appropriation.
• For this, a demand is made and approved for a nominal amount of ₹1.
• In re-appropriation, permission is granted to transfer funds from one sub-section to another. No additional expenditure is incurred due to this.

6. Votes of Credit (క్రెడిట్ ఓట్లు):

• Votes of Credit are approved for meeting expenditures for which reasons cannot be shown in the budget and for unforeseen demands.
• This is like a blank cheque given by the Lok Sabha to the executive branch.

Note:

March Rush (మార్చి రష్):

• Even when the financial year is nearing its end, if the government does not spend the budget allocated for some schemes, it will be credited back to the Consolidated Fund of India.
• In such a situation, the practice of spending allocations indiscriminately and inappropriately in the month of March is called 'March Rush'.

Parliament Procedure (పార్లమెంట్ విధానం)

Point of Order (నియమభంగ ఆక్షేపణ):

• This is used to check whether House proceedings are in accordance with rules and regulations.
• This is an objection raised by members.
• Members should speak only with the Speaker's permission.
• The Speaker's decision is final.
• There is no voting on this.

Rule 374(A):

• According to Rule 374(A) in the Lok Sabha Rules, if members are deemed to be disrupting House proceedings, this rule empowers the Speaker to directly suspend members.
• According to this rule, suspension comes into effect from the moment suspension is imposed. Suspension is in effect for 5 days or until the Lok Sabha meetings conclude, whichever is earlier.
• This rule was added in the tenth edition of the Lok Sabha Rules during the 13th Lok Sabha period.
• Under this rule, for the first time, on Friday, August 23, 2013, Speaker Meira Kumar suspended 12 MPs belonging to Andhra Pradesh.
• On February 13, 2014, Speaker suspended 18 MPs belonging to Andhra Pradesh until the Parliament sessions concluded for obstructing Lok Sabha proceedings and disobeying Speaker's orders.

Composite Floor Test (కాంపోజిట్ ఫ్లోర్ టెస్ట్ - ఒకేసారి బలపరీక్ష):

• When both factions claim majority support and appeal to the Governor, the Governor sends a 'speaking' order to the Legislative Assembly Speaker and the procedure of conducting a 'composite floor test' to elect the Chief Minister through secret ballot or open ballot in the House itself is called "Composite Floor Test".
• This term came into prominence due to the split of Anna DMK into two factions.
• For example, in 1998, in Uttar Pradesh, in the Kalyan Singh Jagadambika Pal case, based on Supreme Court orders, a 'one-time' strength test was conducted through secret ballot.

Parliament Sessions (పార్లమెంట్ సమావేశాలు):

• According to Article 85 of the Indian Constitution, the President convenes both Houses of Parliament twice a year, ensuring that the gap between two sessions does not exceed 6 months.
• However, currently, Parliament sessions are held 3 times a year in our country.

1. Budget Sessions (బడ్జెట్ సమావేశాలు) - February to May (ఫిబ్రవరి నుండి మే వరకు).

2. Monsoon Sessions (వర్షాకాల సమావేశాలు) - July to August (జూలై నుండి ఆగస్టు వరకు).

3. Winter Sessions (శీతాకాల సమావేశాలు) - November to December (నవంబర్ నుండి డిసెంబర్ వరకు).

Dissolution of Lok Sabha - Impact (లోక్సభ రద్దు - ప్రభావం):

• After the term of Lok Sabha expires or in a situation of political uncertainty, the President dissolves the House as per Article 85. Elections are held for a new Lok Sabha.
• When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the impact on the Bills and other assurances under consideration by the Committee on Government Assurances is nil.

Impact of Lok Sabha Dissolution on Bills (లోక్సభ రద్దయినప్పుడు బిల్లులపై ప్రభావం):

• Bills pending in Lok Sabha (whether introduced in Lok Sabha itself or sent from Rajya Sabha for Lok Sabha approval) lapse.
• Bills passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha lapse. Bills pending in Rajya Sabha do not lapse if they have not come to Lok Sabha for approval.
• Bills passed by both Houses and sent to the President for assent do not lapse even if Lok Sabha is dissolved afterwards.
• Bills passed by both Houses and sent to the President, if returned by the President for Parliament's reconsideration, also do not lapse. The Lok Sabha formed later can reconsider them.
• Bills also do not lapse if a deadlock arises between both Houses on a bill and the President has issued a notification for a joint sitting of both Houses to resolve it.

Departmental Standing Committees (డిపార్ట్మెంటల్ స్టాండింగ్ కమిటీలు):

Structure (నిర్మాణం):

• Establishment: 1993 (17 Departmentally Related Standing Committees), Increased to 24 in 2004.
• Members: 31 (Lok Sabha - 21, Rajya Sabha - 10)
• Committees under Lok Sabha: 16
• Committees under Rajya Sabha: 8
• Term of office of Committee members: 1 year

Functions (విధులు):

• To examine the estimates submitted by various Ministries/Departments.
• To examine Bills of various Ministries/Departments and examine their annual reports.

Note:

Committee suggestions are only advisory in nature; it is not mandatory to follow them.

Departmental Standing Committees in Lok Sabha (లోక్సభలోని డిపార్ట్మెంటల్ స్టాండింగ్ కమిటీలు):

1. Standing Committee on Defence
2. Standing Committee on External Affairs
3. Standing Committee on Energy
4. Standing Committee on Agriculture
5. Standing Committee on Labour
6. Standing Committee on Railways
7. Standing Committee on Urban Development
8. Standing Committee on Rural Development
9. Standing Committee on Coal and Steel
10. Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment
11. Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers
12. Standing Committee on Water Resources
13. Standing Committee on Finance
14. Standing Committee on Information Technology
15. Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas
16. Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution

Departmental Standing Committees in Rajya Sabha (రాజ్యసభలోని డిపార్ట్మెంటల్ స్టాండింగ్ కమిటీలు):

1. Standing Committee on Industry
2. Standing Committee on Home Affairs
3. Standing Committee on Commerce
4. Standing Committee on Human Resource Development
5. Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
6. Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests
7. Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice
8. Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare

Advantages (ప్రయోజనాలు):

• In committees, members work beyond party lines.
• The need to use guillotine motion decreases due to the establishment of these committees.
• Committees function smoothly.
• Control over the executive (Control over Executive) is continuous.
• Specialization in Parliament control can be achieved.
• Every member in Parliament is a member of some committee.
• In these committees, members of Rajya Sabha and opposition parties can definitely be given membership in some committee.
• Due to the above reasons, Parliament control over the government is effective.

Joint Parliamentary Committees (జాయింట్ పార్లమెంటరీ కమిటీలు):

• JPCs are indirectly mentioned in Article 105.
• JPCs are temporary parliamentary committees.
• They consist of 15-30 members belonging to both Houses.
• A member of the ruling party acts as the Chairman of the JPC.
• JPCs can be constituted by passing a resolution with a simple majority in both Houses.

JPCs constituted so far (ఇప్పటివరకు ఏర్పాటు చేసిన JPCs):

1. Bofors Scam JPC - August 6, 1987:
   • Chairman: Shankaranand (Congress).
   • Met 50 times.
   • Submitted report on April 26, 1988.
   • Opposition rejected this report.
2. Stock Market Scam (Harshad Mehta Scam) - Aug 6, 1992:
   • Chairman: Ram Niwas Mirdha (Congress).
   • Met 105 times.
   • Submitted report on December 21, 1993.
   • Government neither accepted nor rejected this report.
3. Ketan Parekh Scam (Stock Market Scam) - April 26, 2001:
   • Chairman: Prakash Mani Tripathi (Bharatiya Janata Party).
   • Met 109 times.
   • Total number of members 30.
   • Lok Sabha - 20, Rajya Sabha - 10 members.
   • Submitted report on December 19, 2002.
   • Revolutionary changes came in stock markets control.
4. Pesticides in Soft Drinks - Aug 8, 2003:
   • Chairman: Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress).
   • Met 17 times.
   • Total number of members: 15, Lok Sabha - 10, Rajya Sabha - 5
   • Submitted report on February 4, 2004.
   • Confirmed that pesticide residues in soft drinks are true.
   • Food Safety and Standards Authority was established.
5. 2G Spectrum Scam - March 1, 2011:
   • Chairman: P.C. Chacko (Congress).
   • Total number of members: 30
   • Lok Sabha - 20, Rajya Sabha - 10 members.