What are various cut motions?
Q. Which of the following is/are true?
1) Economy cut motion asks the demand of grant be reduced by Rs. 100.
2) Rajya Sabha cannot move cut motions.
3) Policy cut motion states that the amount of the demand be reduced to Re. 1.- Published on 03 Mar 17a. 3
b. 1, 2
c. 2, 3
d. All of the above
ANSWER: 2, 3
- A demand becomes a grant after it has been duly voted.
- Voting of demands for grants is the exclusive privilege of the Lok Sabha.
- Rajya Sabha has no power of voting the demands.
- Voting is confined to the votable part of the budget - the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India is not submitted to the vote (it can only be discussed).
- During this stage, the members of Parliament can discuss the details of the budget.
- They can also move motions to reduce any demand for grant.
- Such motions are called as ‘cut motion’.
They are of 3 types -
Policy Cut Motion -
- It represents the disapproval of the policy underlying the demand.
- It states that the amount of the demand be reduced to Re 1.
- The members can also advocate an alternative policy.
- Economy Cut Motion - It represents the economy that can be affected in the proposed expenditure.
- It states that the amount of the demand be reduced by a specified amount (which may be either a lump-sum reduction in the demand or omission or reduction of an item in the demand).
- Token Cut Motion - It ventilates a specific grievance that is within the sphere of responsibility of the Government of India.
- It states that the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs 100.
A cut motion, to be admissible, must satisfy the following conditions -
(a) It should relate to one demand only.
(b) It should be clearly expressed and should not contain arguments or defamatory statements.
(c) It should be confined to one specific matter.
(d) It should not make suggestions for the amendment or repeal of existing laws.
(e) It should not refer to a matter that is not primarily the concern of Union government.
(f) It should not relate to the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
(g) It should not relate to a matter that is under adjudication by a court.
(h) It should not raise a question of privilege.
(i) It should not revive discussion on a matter on which a decision has been taken in the same session.
(j) It should not relate to a trivial matter.
Significance of a cut motion -
1. Facilitating the start of concentrated discussion on a specific demand for grant.
2. Upholding the principle of responsible government by probing the activities of the government.
- However, the cut motion do not have much utility in practice.
- They are only moved and discussed in the House but not passed as the government enjoys majority support.
- Their passage by the Lok Sabha amounts to the expressions of want of parliamentary confidence in the government and may lead to its resignation.
- In total, 26 days are allotted for the voting of demands.
- On the last day the Speaker puts all the remaining demands to vote and disposes them whether they have been discussed by the members or not.
- This is known as ‘guillotine’.
