Lok Sabha to apply guillotine for outstanding budget demands

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The Lok Sabha is scheduled Thursday to take up all outstanding demands for grants of ministries at one go by applying the guillotine provision to clear the central budget for 2012-13.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar informed the house that the outstanding demands for grants will be submitted to vote in the house later in the day.

This will mark the end of the second phase of the three-stage exercise for the central budget for 2012-13.

The Lok Sabha has already taken up for debate and voting the demands of the railway, health and family welfare, urban development, home, and commerce and industry ministries this year.

The Railway Budget and the General Budget for 2012-13 were presented on March 14 and 16, respectively, in the first phase of the budget session that began on March 12.

The guillotine is a parliamentary procedure that allows for curtailing the debates on demands for grants of various ministries to ensure timely passage of the Finance Bill, ensuring completion of the budget exercise.