AAP objects to curtailed session

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 13

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators today objected to the ruling party’s move to curtail the winter session.

Quoting Rule 14-A of the Vidhan Sabha Rules and Procedures, Sunam MLA Aman Arora said, “It is clearly written that the House should have a minimum 40 sittings in a year. Our Assembly, on an average, had met less than 15 times in the past three to four years. This is making a mockery of the state Assembly.”

Arora said, “The state has pressing issues concerning employees on roads, unemployment and sacrilege. We have given at least six representations to the Speaker, seeking more time inside the House to talk about people and their needs. No one seems to be bothered.”

Leader of the Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said “We are not at all satisfied with the curtailed session. Seeing public grievances, we feel that the House should meet for at least 20 days in each session.”

Cheema said, “People want to know why their election promises had not been fulfilled by the government. The state Assembly is the forum where we can ask questions directly. Kerala met more than 150 days in 2017-2018 and we not even a fortnight?”

Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu said, “We want the government to tell us whether any study or scientific psychoanalysis was conducted into finding the reasons behind farmer suicides? How many farmers committed suicide in the past 20 months of the current government? How many farmers were compensated?”

During Thursday’s Business Advisory Committee meeting, Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema and Akali MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa demanded a longer session, but there was consensus among the treasury benches on concluding the session on Friday with a single sitting. The treasury benches are learnt to have offered to hold a debate till late evening, provided there is legislative business.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra said the Opposition’s demand for a debate on farmer suicides was irrelevant as the government had already presented a Vidhan Sabha committee report on the matter.

The meeting was attended by Speaker KP Rana Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra, Harpal Cheema, Parminder Dhindsa and Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot.

At least five Bills and two resolutions – on the Kartarpur corridor and women’s reservation – are scheduled to be taken up on Friday.