Supplementary budget passed amid four adjournments

Ranchi, Sep 24 (UNI) The Jharkhand Assembly today passed the supplementary budget of Rs 374 crore by voice vote amid disruption by the Opposition NDA forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House four times.

The supplementary budget was passed during the second session and the House was adjourned for the rest of the day at 1545 hours, fourth time since morning. Except for passing the supplementary budget, no other business could be taken up.

For the third day the Opposition demanded immediate reply from Chief Minister Shibu Soren over the controversial Sanjay Chaudhari issue. Chaudhari was detained by the Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport before he was to board a flight to Dubai on September 17.

On screening of his belongings, the authorities had recovered huge sums of unaccounted money, including foreign currency.

Chaudhari, a businessman from Jamshedpur, had claimed that he was ''close'' to former CM Madhu Koda, which the latter dismissed terming it as ''politically fabricated''. He was, however, released by the customs officials after imposing a fine on him.

Earlier,Speaker Alamgir Alam, expressing concern over the impasse, urged the members to cooperate with him in the people's interest.

As the House sat deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto said since a PIL was filed in this connection the matter was subjudice and the government could not reply on it.

The Opposition reacted strongly saying the PIL was yet to be admitted by the court and the government was only trying to 'do away' with the matter in the House.

Mr Alam said Mr Soren would come up with his statement tomorrow and requested the members to make smooth passage for House business.

Mr Saryu Rai(BJP) demanded stoppping of all business and discussion on the issue which the Speaker turned down.

All efforts to pacify the members went in vain as they went to the well and squatted on the floor shouting slogans and demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident.

EDS:Here pick up suitably from earlier series.

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