Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2020 without discussion, by voice vote
Amid the nationwide lockdown over coronavirus pandemic, Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Finance Bill 2020 without discussion. The bill was moved for passage in the House by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and was passed without discussion. RSP member NK Premachandran said that he had been pressing to take up the Finance Bill for passage after the demands for grants were guillotined last week, news agency ANI reported. He said the government had brought official amendments and the House has not got a chance to discuss them.
He said the government was not taking the objections from opposition seriously. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said that it has been decided in all-party meeting that the bill will be passed without discussion due to "extraordinary situation".
Both Houses of the Parliament are likely to be adjourned sine die post passage of the Finance Bill, ANI reported quoting sources after an all-party meet on the issue of adjourning the House in wake of Covid19. The session, which was earlier scheduled to conclude on April 3.
The session concluded almost 12 days before its scheduled winding up due to the looming threat of Covid-19.
