The Budget Session 2017 of Parliament commenced on 31st January, 2017 has been adjourned sine die on 12th April, 2017. Three main highlights of the Budget Session, 2017, that are historic achievements are
1. Preponing of the Union Budget and completion of all financial business of Government before the start of next financial year by 31st March.
2. Passing of all the enabling acts of the Goods & Services Tax (GST);
3. Presenting and passing of an Integrated Budget.
This is for the first time in Indian legislative history that all financial business of Government has been completed before the start of next financial year by 31stMarch and that too without any short cuts by following due process of general discussion, scrutiny by Standing Committees, discussions on some individual Ministries etc.
Whenever in the past financial business was completed before 31stMarch, those were either election years having interim budgets or in other cases scrutiny by Parliamentary Committees was dispensed with. This is a big financial reform so as to make full funds available to line Ministries for execution of their developmental projects. This is the first time when Vote on Account was dispensed with during the Budget session.
This time Budget for Railways was also merged with General Budget. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses.
BILLS PASSED BY LOK SABHA
1. The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017
2. The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017
3. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2017
4. The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017
5. The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2017
6. The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2017
7. The Appropriation Bill, 2017
8. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2017
9. The Finance Bill, 2017
10. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2017
11. The Mental Health Care Bill, 2016
12. The National Institute of Technology, Science Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016
13. The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
14. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
15. The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017
16. The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017
17. The Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017
18. The Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2017
19. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016
20. The National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill, 2017
21. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Third Amendment) Bill, 2017
22. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014.
23. The Collection of Statistics (Amendment) Bill, 2017
BILLS PASSED BY RAJYA SABHA
1. The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017
2. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2017
3. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014.
4. The Employee’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016
5. The Appropriation Bill, 2017
6. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2017
7. The Finance Bill, 2017
8. The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2017
9. The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2017
10. The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
11. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
12. The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017
13. The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017
14. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2017
BILLS PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
1. The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017
2. The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017
3. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2017
4. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2017
5. The Appropriation Bill, 2017
6. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2017
7. The Finance Bill, 2017
8. The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2017
9. The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2017
10. The Mental Health Care Bill, 2017
11. The Employee’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2017
12. The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
13. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017
14. The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017
15. The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017
16. The Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 #
17. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2017
18. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017
#Will be deemed to have been passed by the Houses on Parliament on expiry 14 days from receipt of Bill, as passed by Lok Sabha in Rajya Sabha under clause (5) of article 109 of the Constitution on 20.04.2017.