Lok Sabha passes Interim Budget

Lok Sabha passed the Interim Budget for the financial year 2014-15 without much discussion on Wednesday.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram introduced the Appropriation Bill and the Finance Bill amid din in the House by a voice vote.

The Bills were passed without much discussion and only senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi spoke. There was no reply from the Finance Minister.

On Monday, Mr. Chidambaram had presented the Interim Budget along with a vote-on-account for spending up to July.

Mr. Joshi described the Interim Budget as “account for vote” and not vote on account.

He urged the Finance Minister not to take adhoc steps and only initiate firm measures for the economy.

Mr. Joshi, however, had to cut short his speech after Speaker Meira Kumar asked him to do so amid uproar.

There was uproar over the issue of reservation, with many members from SP and JD(U) trooping into the Well. (The Hindu)