Chhattisgarh govt may bring anti-CAA resolution in budget session

The Congress government in Chhattisgarh might bring a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the budget session of the state Legislative Assembly beginning on February 24.

In a cabinet meeting held on January 30 here, the state government decided to request the Centre to repeal the CAA in view of protests to the new citizenship law. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had even written a letter to this effect to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the budget session of the Assembly, the state government is likely to table an anti-CAA resolution, parliamentary affairs minister Ravindra Choubey had said. Governments of Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal and Rajasthan had already adopted resolutions against the CAA, which provides Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP on Sunday said that it would raise issues concerning farmers as well as the "failure" of the state government in fulfilling the poll promises during the session. Governor Anusuiya Uikey will address the House on the first day of the session.

The session will conclude on April 1 and will have 22 sittings. "The BJP would raise issues like the alleged irregularities in procurement of paddy from farmers and alleged lathicharge on farmers by police early this week in Kondagaon district," a BJP leader said.

He said the opposition party would also highlight the ruling Congress' "failure" to fulfill electoral promises like providing employment to youths and ban liquor.

"Farmers are bearing the brunt of the poor paddy procurement policy of the state government. Due to the loopholes in the entire process, several farmers could not sell their produce before the procurement date on February 20," he said, adding that the issue of deteriorating law and order would also be raised.

The exact date for tabling the state Budget for FY 2020-21 is yet to be officially announced. However, official sources have informed that the budget is likely to be presented by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who also holds Finance portfolio, either on February 28 or 29.

In the 90-member House, Congress has 69 MLAs, followed by the BJP (14), the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) 5, and the BSP (2).

Image for representational purposes