Chandigarh February 19: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal said that effort would be made to included maximum suggestions of the MLAs received during the 3-day Pre-Budget Consultations in the State Budget for year 2020-21 to be presented in the Budget Session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha commencing tomorrow.

Mr Manohar Lal was speaking in the valedictory session of 3-day Pre-Budget Consultations 2020-21 with MLAs in Panchkula near here today. Deputy Chief Minister Mr Dushyant Chautala, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mr Gian Chand Gupta, Deputy Speaker Mr Ranbir Gangwa, Ministers and MLAs were also present on this occasion. He said that suggestions would be included keeping in view the limitation of the Budget.

The Chief Minister said that work to prepare Budget would commence from today onwards and he has directed senior officers of Finance Department that viable suggestions received during the 3-day Pre-Budget Consultations with MLAs and in other meetings with different stakeholders held earlier should be adjusted in the Budget in consultation with Ministers and Administrative Secretaries concerned.

He said that Pre-Budget Consultations with MLAs is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country wherein the MLAs representing different constituencies participated in the discussions considering the whole State as a unit and gave their suggestions by rising above the party lines to prepare such a Budget that would fulfil the aspirations of people of the State.

Describing the consultation meeting as a “Session of Thoughts and Ideas”, the Chief Minister said that it has provided a platform to the MLAs to express their suggestions on the budget of the State without any debate unlike the Vidhan Sabha where the public representatives raise issues concerning their constituencies only. He appreciated that besides new suggestions, they also suggested measures to increase the State revenue.

He said that the decision to organize this 3 -day consultation with MLAs have been taken during the training programmes of MLAs held recently in Haryana Vidhan Sabha in which Speaker of Lok Sabha Mr Om Birla also delievered his address. Mr Om Birla had also hailed this decision.

Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Mr T.V.S.N Prasad said that a complete record of all the suggestions given by MLAs during the 3-day consultation would be maintained and effort would be made to include maximum suggestions in the State Budget for the year 2020-21.

Administrative Secretaries of various departments and senior officers of District Administration Panchkua were present on this occasion.