PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Bharadisain
The issue of short duration of budget session rocked the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday. Raising a point of order, the Congress MLA from Manglaur, Qazi Nizamuddin said that the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha Work Execution Regulation is not being followed by the government. He said that the regulation clearly mentions that the discussion on vote of thanks on governor’s address should be held for at least four days and thereafter discussion on budget should be held for at least four days. He said that the government should allow department wise discussion on budget as members want to bring the issues related to their constituency to the notice of the house and government. Nizamuddin said that the regulations on the duration of the house can be relaxed in case of any emergency. “The government should explain why it is organising a short session? If there is any emergency then the government should inform the people of the State,’’ he said.
Nizamuddin then walked to the well of the house and handed over a copy of the Vidhan Sabha Work Execution Regulation to the Vidhan Sabha secretary as a mark of protest. The Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that the government is afraid of facing the house. He said that the discussion on the address of the governor and the budget should be held as per the regulation. Amid objections by the ruling party members, the Chakrata MLA Pritam Singhh also demanded that the duration of the house should be extended. He said that the Congress members have resigned from the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the house due to the dictatorial attitude of the ruling party. Singh also questioned the agenda of the house which mentioned that discussions on vote of thanks of governor and budget would be held on Wednesday.
Intervening in the debate, the speaker Ritu Khanduri said that she has not accepted the resignations of the Congress members from the BAC. The Parliamentary Affairs minister Subodh Uniyal said that the Congress members should attend the meetings of the BAC which decides the business and the duration of the house. He said that Assembly sessions of short durations were held during the regime of the Congress party as well.
