Imphal, April 21: Following the recommendation of the State Cabinet to begin the fill budget session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly, 2007-08 from May 3 onwards, the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee has been convened on April 25 at 3 pm.

Along with introducing bills from the side of the Government, supplementary on some new service items which have been left out from the Budget discussion in the last session is expected to be put up for discussion in the upcoming Assembly session.

During the first session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly held from March 16 to 22, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, who is also in charge of the Finance had introduced the Budget Estimate for 2007-2008 tentatively as Rs 900 crores and the Vote on Account for the period till July this year had been passed.

According to sources from the Assembly Secretariat, the full Budget session which is scheduled to commence from May 3 is not the second session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Though the first session held from March 16 to 22 had been adjourned sine die by the Speaker , it has not yet been prorogued till today, so the Speaker has only re-convened session.

Thus, the full Budget session would be considered as the second part of the first session of the newly elected State Assembly.

In connection with the second part of the Assembly session scheduled to commence from May 3, the Assembly Secretariat has issued a notification convening the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee has been convened on April 25 at 3 pm.

The meeting of the Business Advisory Committee would decide the duration of the re-convened session although the Assembly Secretariat has already worked out a tentative programme for convening session from May 21 to 22 and take up the matter for discussion during the meeting, sources disclosed.

Explaining the reason for convening the full Budget session not long after the Vote on Account till the month of July had been passed, sources it is owing to the need for inclusion of some new service supplementary items which have been left out from the tentative Budget estimate of Rs 900 crores for the period 2007-08 passed in the first part of the Assembly session.

As per the rules there is no provision for making changes in the annual Budget estimate which has been passed after following due procedure.

However, if certain items have been left out in the wake of new programmes and policies of the Government of India, then the same could be reintroduced under Article 115 of the Constitution.

In order to get the approval of the House on the required additional fund for the left out new service items, the Assembly session has been reconvened and there is no legal implication in this regard, sources from the Assembly Secretariat added.

The bills which are expected to be introduced by the Government during the session would be known after the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee.

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