Dharamsala: The third Session (budget session) of the 17^th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile for the fiscal year 2022-2023 scheduled to be held from 21^st to 31^st March commenced today with the Speaker’s session commencement announcement at 9:30 am today. The session continued with the singing of the Tibetan national anthem, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel’s session opening speech, and the appointment of Acting Speakers and Ad Hoc committee members.

Offering his prayers and prostrations to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Speaker began his opening address by greeting the Sikyong, Kalons, the Deputy Speaker, and Parliament Members present there. Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel exalted the farsighted vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and extended gratitude to His Holiness for bestowing Tibetans with the gift of democracy. He urged Parliamentarians to live up to the responsibilities entrusted by the Charter of Tibetans in exile and work as per the wishes of the general Tibetan public.

He then introduced the brief agenda of the session which includes an official motion on the critical environmental situation in Tibet, a budget presentation by Finance Kalon, the precis budget report presentation by the Chairman of the budget estimate committee, legislative amendment, the financial status of CTA, and others.

Parliamentarian Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende presented the official motion on the critical environmental situations inside Tibet, which was supported by Parliamentarian Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen. The five-point official motion on the critical environmental situation inside Tibet highlights the appalling environmental destruction happening inside Tibet by calling on the Chinese government to check on mass mining operations and deforestation happening in Tibet. It further calls on the Chinese government to do an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before starting any mining operation or any infrastructure development projects on the Tibetan plateau.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Finance Kalon of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), presented the 2022-23 Budget of Central Tibetan Administration proposing an amount of Rs. 2,535.14 million, followed by Parliamentarian Ngodup Dorjee, the Chairman of the Budget Estimate Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, presenting the Précis report of the Committee.

The motion for debate on the Central Tibetan Administration’s 2022-23 Budget was tabled by Parliamentarian Geshe Ngaba Gangri and supported by Parliamentarian Choedak Gyatso.