Dharamshala: The fourth day of the Budget Session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile began at 9:30 AM with the continuation of the discussion and approval on the proposed Recurring Budget, Special Recurring Budget, and Surkyol Budget of the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) under the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR).

The session continued with deliberation on the proposed budgets of the offices under the DIIR including the budgets of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; Indo Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO), Delhi; Office of Tibet, Washington DC; Tibetan Community Development Fund (TCDF); Tibet Bureau, Geneva; the Office of Tibet, London; the Tibet House Trust, London; Tibet Information Office, Canberra; Tibetan Cultural Centre Limited, Australia; Liaison Office of the H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tokyo; and the Japan Tibet House Trust were sanctioned after the required discussion.

Likewise, the proposed budgets of Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office, Kathmandu; the Tibetan Culture and Information Centre, Moscow; Bureau du Tibet, Brussels; Bureau de Tibet, Paris; the Office of Tibet, Pretoria; Tibet Religious Foundation of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Taipei; and Tibet House, Brazil.

Followed by approval of proposed budgets of Tibetan Freedom Movement (BRDL); the Election Commission; the Public Service Commission; Office of the Auditor General; Audit General’s branch in South; Audit General’s branch in South in Nepal; and Audit General’s branch in Dekyiling after due deliberation.

Kalon Norzin Dolma of the DIIR provided clarification to the queries raised in the house on the undertaking of the offices under DIIR, while Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Kalon of the Department of Finance provided answers to questions raised on budget and Kashag.

Today’s session had the presence of a delegation from the Peace and Harmony led by Shri Bibuti Kumar Mishra as observers. The visiting guests observed the proceedings of the ongoing session where they were accorded a warm welcome by the house.

The session adjourned at 6:00 pm.