West Bengal Assembly to Discuss Home Department Budget After 14 Years

Kolkata, July 22: The West Bengal Assembly will hold discussions on the budget provisions for the Home Department on Wednesday, marking the first time in 14 years. The Home Ministry is under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who will address questions raised by legislators in the house.

The last discussion on the department’s budget allocation took place in 2012. Since then, this matter has been expedited without debate, a process referred to as ‘guillotine’, allowing public spending approvals to be passed swiftly in the assembly.

The Trinamool Congress government, led by Mamata Banerjee, came to power in 2011, ending a 34-year rule by the Left Front. Mamata Banerjee has overseen the Home Department from 2011 to 2026 as Chief Minister.

Except for the initial two years of her tenure (2011 and 2012), there has been no discussion on the Home Department’s budget allocation until the recent assembly elections. This lack of discussion has drawn criticism from parties like CPM, Congress, and BJP.

As the new and ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari has decided to end the practice of sending budget approvals for the Home Department to ‘guillotine’. Instead, he has chosen to initiate discussions in the assembly. The discussion on the Home Department’s budget allocation will commence during the first part of the extended budget session, with a total of two hours allocated for this purpose. The discussion will conclude with Chief Minister Adhikari’s response.

After the lunch break, a cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister will take place within the assembly premises. This meeting is expected to approve several significant administrative decisions.

In the second part of the extended budget session, discussions will shift to the budget allocation for the state’s electricity department. Following this, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will respond, and then the assembly proceedings will be adjourned for the day. It is noteworthy that Suvendu Adhikari is also responsible for the electricity department.

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