Gujarat Budget Session to begin on Feb 25
Gandhinagar, Feb 24: Gujarat Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, who will set a new record by presenting his 13th Budget, will have an uphill task of providing resources to seven cities of the state, who turned poorer by Rs 1,800 crore following the abolition of octroi just before the December elections.
Mr
Vala,
who
will
present
the
2008-09
Budget
to
the
Vidhan
Sabha
tomorrow,
is
expected
to
take
some
drastic
step
in
a
bid
to
raise
resources
to
compenstate
the
loss
suffered
by
the
seven
cities
--
Bhavnagar,
Jamnagar,
Junagadh,
Ahmedabad,
Rajkot,
Surat
and
Vadodara
due
to
octroi
abolition.
During
the
session,
Modi
Government
will
table
two
major
bills,
including
amendment
of
the
Registration
Act
1908,
making
registration
of
power
of
attorney
relating
to
the
transfer
of
immovable
property
compulsory.
The
bill
also
seeks
to
prevent
evasion
of
stamp
duty
by
builders
and
land
traders.
The Gujarat Legislative Assembly Members (Removal of Disqualifications) Act bill will also be tabled during the session. The bill seeks to prevent ministers from being disqualified if they hold office of profit.
The Opposition Congress is likely to take the government to task on the Patan gangrape case in which a Dalit girl was raped by six of her teachers at Patan's Primary Teachers College, and also on the recent power tariff hike.
The Opposition is also expected to raise the issue of giving Deputy Speaker's post to them. The Modi government has, for the first time, mooted a proposal to appoint a deputy chief whip of BJP in the assembly. If the proposal is passed, the deputy chief whip will get perks and facilities given to a deputy minister.
UNI