The Guillotine provision was deployed, to pass all outstanding Demands for Grants in the Budget without "discussion".
This has raised questions on the roles and responsibilities of the legislature in a democracy.
What is the Guillotine provision?
In legislative parlance, to “guillotine” means to put together and fast-track the passage of financial business.
After the Budget is presented, Parliament goes into recess for about 3 weeks.
During this time, the House Standing Committees examine Demands for Grants for various Ministries, and prepare reports.
After Parliament reassembles, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) draws up a schedule for discussions on the Demands for Grants.
Given the limited time, the House cannot take up the expenditure demands of all Ministries.
The BAC therefore identifies some important Ministries for discussions.
These may include Ministries of Home, Defence, External Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Human Resource Development.
This is when Members discuss the policies and working of Ministries.
Once the House is done with these debates, the Speaker applies the “guillotine”.
This is to put to vote at once, all the other outstanding demands for grants that have not been discussed.
This usually happens on the last day earmarked for the discussion on the Budget.
The purpose is to ensure timely passage of the Finance Bill, marking the completion of the legislative exercise with regard to the Budget.
How were the Bills passed at present?
Owing to the disruption in Parliament due to various issues, all Demands for Grants were “guillotined”.
The Finance Bill and Appropriation Bill (contained the consolidated Demands for Grants) with a spending plan of Rs 89.25 lakh crore.
The Appropriation Bill details plans on how government ministries and departments would spend their money this fiscal.
This, along with 21 amendments to the Finance Bill, which contains taxation proposals for 2018-19, was introduced.
These were voted on, and passed by voice vote, all within 30 minutes.
Procedurally, the government cannot be questioned as it is at the Speaker’s discretion to deploy the Guillotine provision.
What are the concerns?
It was an unusual step because there were still 3 weeks left in the Budget Session.
There is enough time for the Bills to have undergone "discussions" in the House.
The government is technically right to fast-track legislative business but it seems to have silenced the voice of democracy and unfairly bypassed the convention.
The clear majority of the ruling coalition in the Lower House guaranteed that the Bills would pass, without discussion.
But beyond legislative majorities, democracy also functioned through debate, dissent, and accountability.
One of the basic checks on the power of the executive in a democracy comes from the legislature’s oversight over funds.
The refusal to discuss the Finance Bill is symptomatic of the steady decline in the prestige and position of Parliament.
It is also a stain in the ideas that the Parliament embodies.
Notably, this Budget Session has spent the least time “discussing” the Finance Bill since 2004.
The government is registering the largest year-on-year decline in time spent on the Finance Bill.
What is the way forward?
The responsibility for the healthy functioning of Parliament is something that must be shared by every party.
The government, despite its electoral dominance and even because of it, must ensure that it encourages debate rather than circumvent it.
