Twenty-six of 117 MLAs kept mum in House in their five-year tenure

Gurminder Singh Grewal

Samrala/ Khanna January 12

Political parties are busy declaring their candidates from various seats for the upcoming Assembly elections and people are also hopeful that the MLAs concerned will raised their issues in the Assembly, but 26 of 117 MLAs have failed to take up any single issue in their 5-year tenure. 

Out of ministers apart from Tota Singh and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, other 16 ministers kept mum. This was the information gathered under RTI from Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat provided on January 3 by the Under Secretary-cum-Public Relations officer. 

As per the information, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn’t take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs. 

Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions. Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly. Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions. Akali Dal MLAs who did not speak in the house at all were Amarpal Singh from Ajnala, Ashwani Kumar from Pathankot, Avinash Chander from Phillaur, Balvir Singh Ghunas from Dirba, Des Raj Dhuga from Sri Hargobindpur, Dinesh Singh from Sujanpur, Bibi Farjana Alam from Malerkotla, Gurbachan Singh Babehali from Gurdaspur, Harmit Singh Sandhu from Tarntaran, Indervir Singh Bolaria from Amritsar South, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Talwandi Sabo, KD Bhandari from Jalandhar North, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar Central, Mantar Singh Brar from Kotkapura, Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh from Sham Churasi, NK Sharma from Dera Bassi, Nand Lal Chaudhry from Balachaur, Bibi Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Parkash Chand Garg from Sangrur, Pawan Kumar Teenu from Adampur, Sarup Chand Singla from Bathinda, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Som Parkash from Phagwara, Surinder Singh Rathan from Garhshankar, Virsa Singh Valtoha from Khemkaran did not raise any question about their area, while two Congress MLAs including Amrik Singh Dhillon from Samrala and OP Soni from Amritsar Central also did not raise any question during their period.

Meanwhile, women members including Karan Kaur Brar, Aruna Chaudhary and Bibi Guriqbal Kaur raised 44,47 and 38 questions, respectively, including direct and written questions. 

Interestingly Captain Amarinder Singh also did not raise any question during his tenure before his election as MP from Amritsar. 

At present, the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat had removed the website on which this information and RTI is the only way to give information about it.

What RTI says

• As per the information under the RTI, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn't take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs.
• Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA from Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions. 
• Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly.
• Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions.