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Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 20
Peeved at the short Punjab Vidhan Sabha session being convened from December 22, the Congress Legislature Party has accused the SAD-BJP alliance government of shying away from debate on important issues concerning the state.
The winter session of the Vidhan Sabha will begin on December 22. After obituary reference, legislative business will be conducted in two sessions on Tuesday. The Assembly will be adjourned sine die after the legislative business is taken up in the morning session on Wednesday. Congress leaders said at least 25 urgent issues need to be discussed in the House, but it would not be possible in such a short session.
The session is expected to be stormy. Important Bills, including the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Technical University Bill, Cattle Fair Bill, Municipal Council Second Amendment Bill, Punjab State Legislator Pension and the Medical Allowance Bill, are likely to be passed in this session.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar said, “It was a murder of democracy. We had requested the Speaker to have at least 10 sittings of the Vidhan Sabha to take up 25 important issues that need to be discussed. Drugs, poor infrastructure in urban areas, delays in paddy payment, unemployment, etc., need to be discussed in the House, but the Akali-BJP government seems reluctant to participate in the debate. They have failed on almost all fronts and cannot face the Opposition, leave alone the public,” he said.
Charanjit Channi, Congress MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, alleged the MLAs had not been given enough time to prepare their questions and submit them in the House. “We were intimated about the session today—just two days before the session. MLAs have the responsibility of highlighting problems affecting their constituencies and seek response from the government. But the government has chosen to remain blissfully ignorant, by not even allowing members of the House to prepare their questions,” he said.
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