NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, JULY 17
The Puducherry Assembly has been convened on July 20 for the budget session (2020-2021). Secretary to the Assembly Mounusamy said that the session would begin with the customary address by the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi.
This would be followed by the presentation of the budget by the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, holding the finance portfolio. When the House had its session on March 30 for a day, a vote-on-account (Appropriation) Bill was passed as a full- fledged budget could not be presented then. The Bill earmarked Rs 2,042 crore to the government departments to meet their commitments for the first three months (April to June) of the fiscal 2020-2021.
The proposals forwarded to the Centre for approval for a full-fledged budget were approved and sent to the territorial government on Thursday, sources said. The House meets amid prevalence of pandemic. As was seen on the last occasion, there would be adherence to safety norms in the House.
The House presently has 29 members and one seat is vacant after the rebel Congress legislator N Dhanavelou was disqualified for alleged anti-government activities.
There are three nominated legislators belonging to the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). The ruling Congress has 14 members, after disqualification of Dhanavelou, while its alliance partner the DMK has three members. Besides an Independent member, the AINRC has seven members and the AIADMK four.
