A day after the Congress legislators raised slogans and accused the SAD-BJP Government of inaction against its tainted Ministers, the seven-day long Budget Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has been cut short to five days.
The decision, taken by the Assembly’s Business Advisory Committee, instantly invoked sharp reaction from the Congress party which accused the ruling party of running away from the “issues”.
The session, earlier scheduled from March 3 to 11, will now be held till March 7 — making it a five-day session. Already, two days have passed in the Governor’s Address and the obituary references.
The meeting of Vidhan Sabha Business Advisory Committee was held, under the chairmanship of the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, right after the session was adjourned for the day on Tuesday.
Meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Parliamentary Affairs and Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, BJP legislative party leader and labour Minister Bhagat Chunni lal, BJP MlA Manoranjan Kalia and Congress MlA Jagmohan Singh Kang.
Started on Monday, the Assembly session was held for around 40-minutes on day one, while the obituary references were made on Tuesday by the Speaker which took only 10 minutes. The decision comes as a setback of sorts to the Congress party’s plans of pushing the ruling combine to the edge, just before the parliamentary polls.
The party has planned to raise issues ranging from alleged involvement of Cabinet Ministers in drug racket, coupled with increasing unemployment, dwindling industrial scenario and result of investors’ summit, unrest among Government employees’, sand prices, taxes in urban areas, sanitation, politicisation of Atta-Dal scheme, under stress farming community, among others in an attempt to project the ruling combine in a bad light.
Peeved, the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Jakhar has assailed the SAD-BJP combine Government of “running away from the issues to face the people of the State”.
“A day before, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asserted that he was willing to discuss all issues that the Opposition wanted to take up, and they would be given sufficient time. But today’s decision shows the double-speak of the Akali-BJP,” Jakhar told The Pioneer.
He said: “The State Government should have used this session to showcase their achievements that they generally speak about…but they decided to cut short the session as they have nothing to show except the false promises.”
Defending, Kalia contended that the decision was taken considering the possibility of model code of conduct coming into force. “It has been felt that code of conduct might be imposed by next week, and we want to transact all the legislative business before that,”
said Kalia.
“Moreover, the session has not been cut short, only the number of days have been reduced, and number of sitting are the same which would be covered in five days instead of seven by holding the House in double sittings,” he said.
As per the “changed” programme, the Vote-on-Account would be presented on March 7, instead of March 11, along with the legislative business, earlier to be transacted on March 10. Besides, the House would hold two sitting on March 6, and also on March 7, if needed be.
All geared up to take on the treasury benches, the Congress would raise the issue of alleged involvement of cabinet ministers — Bikram Singh Majithia and Swaran Singh Phillaur — in the House during discussing on the Governor’s Address present by the Governor Shivraj Patil on Monday.
“We would raise this issue, besides others for which we have sought time to hold separate debate. The Speaker has assured us to give time to raise our issues,” said Jakhar. The Congress, a day before, had submitted the memorandum to the Punjab Governor seeking removal of Majithia, Phillaur and Anil Joshi from the State Cabinet.
“Majithia has been named as kingpin by the accused in the drug case, Phillaur’s son’s name has also surfaced, besides a complaint has been registered against Joshi and his family members for obtaining dual-vote…their continuation would influence the inquiry…they should be removed,” said Jakhar.
At the same time, SAD Chief Sukhbir Badal said ministers cannot be removed on the basis of “allegations”. “The ministers cannot be removed if anybody makes any allegations against them…until and unless, something substantiate comes to the fore against them, they would continue,” said Sukhbir.