Guillotine Parliamentary Procedure

March 24, 2023

With the ongoing verbal battle and sloganeering between the ruling party and the opposition in the Indian Parliament, the Budget session is facing a potential washout. As a result, the Speaker is expected to use the guillotine procedure to ensure the passage of financial bills. In this article, we will explore the Guillotine Parliamentary Procedure and its significance in the Indian Parliament.

What is the Guillotine Parliamentary Procedure?

The Guillotine Parliamentary Procedure is a process used in Parliament or state assemblies to group together and expedite the passage of financial business. During the Budget session, the procedure is used to save time when all the clauses of a measure cannot be discussed in the allotted time.

How does the procedure work?

Each Bill is allotted a specific amount of time for consideration in Parliament. A Bill is usually composed of several clauses. Once the allotted time to discuss the clauses of the Bill is over, the Speaker of the House rolls out guillotine closure. The undiscussed clauses of a bill or resolution are placed for vote alongside the discussed portions.

What happens after the guillotine closure?

Once the Speaker of the House applies the guillotine, all the outstanding demands for grants, whether discussed or not, are put to vote at once. The Appropriations Bill is formally introduced by the government, which gives them permission to seek funds out of the Consolidated Fund of India. After being enacted, this Bill becomes the Appropriation Act. The Finance Bill is then brought up for discussion following the vote on the Appropriations Bill. The sections and changes of the Finance Bill are only discussed in relation to the tax measures. The Finance Act becomes part of the law after this bill is passed, and the final budget is approved.

What are the implications of voting against a money bill?

Voting on these bills is viewed as a vote of no confidence in the government if the outcome is negative. Hence, if a money bill is voted against, a government may possibly fall.

The current state of the Indian Parliament

The ongoing deadlock between the ruling party and the opposition has been a major hindrance to the functioning of the Parliament. The opposition is demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue, while the government is demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his alleged anti-India remarks.

The stalemate has led to adjournments and a significant loss of valuable time. In light of this, the Speaker is expected to use the guillotine procedure to ensure the passage of crucial financial bills.

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