Oppn boycotts Assembly proceedings

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 21

Accusing the PDP-BJP coalition government of not taking proceedings of the Legislative Assembly seriously, the entire Opposition boycotted the second sitting when the discussion and the voting on the demands for the Education, Sports and Youth Services Departments was held this evening.

The Opposition alleged that instead of incorporating issues being raised by the elected representatives, the government seemed to be in a hurry to pass the grants to hide its misdeeds.

Congress Legislature Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora told The Tribune that the first sitting, in which discussion and vote on demands of the Forest Department was held, concluded at 4.30 pm. “How was it possible to discuss the functioning of the Higher Education, School Education, Sports and Youth Services Departments within a couple of hours?” he asked, adding, “a whole day is required to discuss the functioning of such important departments but the government was adamant on concluding the debate in a hurry so we decided to boycott the proceedings.”

MY Tarigami, CPM, lawmaker, said these departments were directly related to the youth of the state but unfortunately the government was trying to take these casually. “We pleaded to the government to extend the business of the House by one day so as to discuss these important departments but our suggestion was rejected by the government,” he said.

Defending the decision of the Opposition to boycott the second sitting, NC legislator Devinder Rana alleged that the government was trying to hide its misdeeds so the debate was organised in a casual manner. He pointed out that the Education Department was an important department but the government was not ready to allow a detailed discussion on its functioning.

Engineer Rashid suspended, order revoked later

In the first sitting, Independent MLA Engineer Rashid was suspended from the Assembly for disrupting its proceedings. He was first suspended for two days but later his suspension was revoked after the intervention of some members. Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, who was conducting the proceedings of the Assembly in the absence of Speaker Kavinder Gupta, ordered Rashid’s suspension when he created disturbance. The MLA had raised ruckus in the House during the question hour over the detention of an 86-year old man and a 14-year-old boy under the Public Safety Act.