Wednesday, 15 June 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The members of the Congress party registered their strong protest against changing the venue of the budget session of the State Assembly from Gairsain to Dehradun. The Congress members staged a protest at the entrance of the house to express this strong disapproval on shifting the session to Dehradun.
As soon as the proceedings of the house started on the day, the Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh demanded that discussion under rule 310 should be held on the issue as Gairsain is associated with the pride of the state. He was supported by other members of the party. The speaker Ritu Khanduri asked the Congress members to let the question hour begin as many important questions were listed for discussions on which the angry members of the Congress registered a vociferous protest. The speaker later decided to take up the issue under rule 58.
Questioning the explanation of the government that the session was shifted because of the Char Dham Yatra, Pritam Singh said, “The Char Dham Yatra will be held every year which means the BJP government will not hold any session in the summer capital during the summer season.” He said that the sentiments of the people of the state have been deeply hurt by the decision of the government.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly, Yashpal Arya said, “The feelings of people of Uttarakhand have been completely ignored by the BJP government. Better planning on part of government and administration could have easily ensured that the session was held at Gairsain.’’ He questioned when the government intends to hold a session in Gairsain when it is not able to hold it in summers in the summer capital.
In his reply the Parliamentary Affairs minister Prem Chand Aggarwal said that the Congress party is unnecessarily raising the issue.
The Congress party also attacked the government outside the assembly on the issue. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara said that the Congress government had passed a resolution in the state assembly in the year 2017 that the budget session would be held in Gairsain. He said that the BJP government has insulted the sacrifices made by the statehood martyrs by holding the budget session in Dehradun.
It is pertinent to mention here that the budget session of Uttarakhand Assembly was earlier scheduled to be held in summer capital Gairsain from June 7. However, the venue was changed to Dehradun and the session started from June 14.
