By IANS,
New Delhi: What is a cut motion? For all practical purposes, it is a weapon the opposition uses to bring down a government by invoking some provisions of parliamentary procedures.
The provisions are listed in Chapter XIX of the rules governing the conduct of business in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, and deal with the financial business, especially the presentation and passage of general budget.
As per these rules, a cut motion basically seeks to disagree with the money set aside by the government for specific programmes and measures, under what is called demands for grants, and may be moved on any of the three following ways:
-That the amount of the particular demand be reduced to Re.1. This motion is called “disapproval of policy cut” and a member moving such a motion indicates in precise terms the particulars of the policy, which he proposes to discuss.
-That the amount of the particular demand be reduced by a specified amount. This motion is called “economy cut” and the notice indicates precisely the particular matter on which discussion has been sought.
-That the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs.100, which is to ventilate a specific grievance with the government. Such a motion is called “token cut” and the discussion is confined to that particular grievance alone.
The motion, accordingly, tests the government’s actual strength in the lower house and its passage amounts to a no-confidence motion. Being a financial matter, the government of the day is also obliged to resign.
The latest cut motions deal with the demands for grants of two ministries — petroleum and fertilisers. It seek to invoke the “disapproval of policy cut” mentioned above for expressing dissent over the hikes proposed in prices of fuels and fertilisers.