Uttarakhand opposition alleges Dhami government plans to thwart assembly session tradition

Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly and Congress MLA Yashpal Arya has alleged that the Pushkar Singh Dhami government intends to thwart the tradition by presenting the Appropriation Bill on the first day of the upcoming assembly session, beginning March 9.

Arya alleged that the Appropriation Bill has never been tabled on the first day after the Governor’s address in the state’s parliamentary history.

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Yashpal Arya alleged that the Dhami government is preparing to subvert the parliamentary tradition of the state assembly in the Gairsain budget session, starting March 9. “The government plans to introduce the Appropriation Bill on the very day of the Governor’s address,” he said. Arya stressed that, according to assembly proceedings tradition, the first session of the year begins with the Governor’s address, followed by at least four days of discussion. “However, going by the provisional schedule released for the upcoming assembly session, the government is preparing to turn the Gairsain budget session into a mere formality,” Arya said on Saturday.

He alleged that the government does not intend to conduct the full five-day assembly session at Gairsain as proposed. “For the first time, the state government is moving to subvert legislative traditions by introducing the Appropriation Bill on the same day as the Governor’s address. According to parliamentary convention, the first session of the year begins with the Governor’s address, followed by at least four days of discussion. The Appropriation Bill is introduced in the House only after the discussion on the Governor’s address, he said.

The Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly added, “Having also served as a member of Uttar Pradesh legislature, I am unaware of any precedent in either Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand wherein the budget was presented on the same day as the Governor’s address. The provisional schedule shared with the opposition indicates the state government’s plan to evade democratic accountability in the upcoming assembly session at Gairsain.”

Arya further said that traditions of conducting House business are as significant as the assembly rules. “These can be changed or altered only under extraordinary circumstances. The government must justify its intent to break a tradition that has been followed for decades,” Arya said. He expressed apprehension that the government might present the budget on the very first day, rush it through, and adjourn the session prematurely.

Notably, the last budget session in Dhami government’s current tenure will be held at the state’s summer capital, Gairsain, from March 9 to March 14. Uttarakhand is scheduled to face assembly polls in early 2027.