Governor defers address, spl session cut short

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya today deferred his address to the Assembly, saying the special session had been convened for ratifying the 126th constitutional amendment to extend reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for another 10 years.

Addressing the Assembly, Arya wished the people a happy and prosperous new year, saying he would deliver a full-fledged Address during the forthcoming Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.

Earlier, the Vidhan Sabha was expected to have a full-fledged Governor’s Address, with the tentative programme issued by the Assembly Secretariat listing discussion on the Governor’s Address on January 20 and 21 on the agenda. The call to not have a full-fledged Governor’s Address and adjourn the House sine die today itself was taken during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee under Speaker Gian Chand Gupta.

The Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed a resolution to ratify the Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill, 2019, extending reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies by another 10 years. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister ML Khattar.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat would be apprised of the decision of the Vidhan Sabha to ratify the Bill. After ratification of the BiIl, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die.

Obituary resolutions passed

Obituary resolutions were passed to pay tributes to those who died in the period from the end of the previous session to the beginning of the current session of the Assembly. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar read out the obituary resolutions. Members of the House observed silence to pay homage to the departed.

Speaker Gian Chand Gupta and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda also read out obituary resolutions. The House paid homage to former Union Minister of State for Home ID Swami, former MPs Het Ram and Ashwani Kumar and former Haryana minister Shamsher Singh Surjewala.

Tributes were also paid to two freedom fighters — Nihal Singh of Karira in Mahendragarh and Tara Singh of Bir Babran in Hisar — and 12 martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice while safeguarding the country.

The House also mourned the death of Satbir, cousin of Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Education Minister, Capt Karan Singh Dalal, father of Jai Parkash Dalal, Agriculture Minister, Sushila Devi, mother-in-law of Seema Trikha, MLA, Sona Devi, mother of Subhash Gangoli, MLA and Padma Swami, wife of ID Swami among others.

Arya wraps up speech in seconds

• The session, slated to start at 11 am, began late with the Governor coming around 11.35 am
• Even as members were settling to listen to the Governor's Address, he wrapped up his speech within seconds saying he would deliver a full-fledged Address during the forthcoming Budget session
• The Governor's short intervention came as a surprise to certain MLAs and the media, who were expecting a full-fledged Address on the pattern of Punjab during a special session last week