Third session of 17th Tibetan Parliament in Exile concludes

March 31, 2022

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Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel addressing the the final day of the 3rd session of 17th TPiE. Photo/Tenzin Phende/CTA.

Dharamshala: The final day of the budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile was chaired by Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang. The house continued with deliberation over the undertakings of the Department of Home and Department of Education.

It then proceeded with tabling of official motion and resolution to appoint the 11th Public Accounts Committee to review the audit reports for the fiscal year 2018-19, followed by its unanimous passing in the house. Similarly, the official motion and resolution on the constitution of a Review Committee for Gangjong Finance Pvt. Ltd was also passed with a high majority.

Likewise, the official motion and resolution instructing continued operation of Narthang Press under DIIR and the official motion and resolution for acknowledging the interim budget approval sought by the administration as sanctioned, when the 17th Parliament and its standing committee were unable to constitute under special circumstances, were respectively passed with a majority vote in the house.

The legislative procedure then continued with the third reading and adoption of the Public Service Commission. The amendment proposed in clause 16 and clause 19 (3) were approved unanimously whereas clause 19 (4) (5) was approved with a two-thirds vote in the house.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering provided Kashag’s statement on the debate over Kashag’s clarification. Thereafter the official bill and resolution to the statement of Kashag over its clarification on the important matters of administration and governance was too passed in the house.

Following the list of business, the afternoon session began with financial business, the Revised Appropriation bill of 2021-2022, and the Appropriation bill of 2022-2023, presented by Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang and supported by the Chairman of the Budget Estimate Committee Parliamentarian Ngodup Dorjee, where the revised appropriation Act of 2021-2022 and the Appropriation Act of 2022-2023 were passed in the house with a majority vote.

As per document no- 31, the revised appropriation act of 2021-2022 authorized the issue and appropriation of a total of Rs. 3,252,462,344/ for the expenditure (annual budget and interim budget) proposed to be made from the consolidated fund and the funds not included in the consolidated fund and a total income of Rs. 3,798,475,920/ to be accumulated by Kashag.

And as per document no 32, the appropriation act of 2022-2023 authorized the issue and appropriation of a total amount of Rs. 2,588,979,894/ for the expenditure (annual budget) proposed to be made from the consolidated fund and the funds not included in the consolidated fund and a total income of Rs. 2,680,729,041/ to be accumulated by Kashag.

Afterward, the Secretary-General of the Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat Mr. Sonam Dorjee read out the leave of absence of the Parliament Members before the Speaker gave his conclusion speech.

The Speaker in his conclusion speech informed the house of the obituary references, solidarity resolution, resolution on Tibet’s environment, Kashag’s clarification, financial business, and other official resolutions passed in this session. He offered his condolences over the sad news of the self-immolation protest at Kyegudo in Tibet’s traditional Kham province on 30th March 2022 and the self-immolation of popular Tibetan singer Tsewang Norbu on 25th February 2022 in front of the Potala Palace in Tibet’s capital Lhasa. He then advised the Parliamentarians to move forward for the common cause of Tibet without clutching on some past issues.

He thanked the Budget Estimate Committee, Department of Health, Department of Information and International Relations, Department of Security, Department of Finance, and Parliamentary Secretariat for their assistance during the ten-day parliament session.

The session adjourned sine die at 6:15 pm.

–Report filed by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat.