The Punjab Government, it seems, took advantage of Sarabjeet Singh’s martyrdom in a Pakistani jail to escape firing from its opponents on plenty of issues it has accumulated in all these months, including dwindling State finances.
As the Punjab Cabinet decided on Thursday morning that the “Winter Session” would start from October 28, it became evident that the powers that be “skipped” the Monsoon Session conveniently. And for the purpose, the Government relied upon the daylong session it held to pay tributes to Sarabjit Singh, who succumbed to fatal injuries in Pakistan’s Kot lakhpat Jail in May this year.
Otherwise also, the main Opposition party, Congress, is insisting that the session is going to be “too late” and “too short”.
Dubbing as “mere formality” the previous one-day special session, leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Kumar Jakhar alleged that the SAD-BJP Government is trying to save itself from the loads of issues the State Government is facing at present.
The Punjab Government in May summoned an “emergency” session to discuss the issue of wealth tax “only”. Though the issue was resolved well before the session scheduled for May 3, the State Government went ahead with its decision, but ended in 15 minutes after paying tributes to Sarabjit and passing resolution declaring him as “martyr of the nation”, a day after his death in lahore.
“They are just making excuses on the pretext of the special session called for Sarabjit Singh on May 3. There is legal stipulation to hold the Assembly session within six months. As their six months are going to be completed in the first week of November, they have strategically called the session after delaying it as long as they could,” Jakhar told The Pioneer.
Explicating, Jakhar said that they were fearing to come face-to-face with the Opposition as they were aware of the issues confronting the State Government “with loads of queries on the fiscal mess that the Government have created in the State…Government is not able to pay the salaries of its employees, the burden on the urban people with the property tax, regularisation fees and under this policy, the plot holders are facing big harassment”.
Also the leader of Congress legislative Party, Jakhar said: “We have lot of issues. And the Government should be more than willing to come and discuss with the Opposition these issues, especially finance. In fact, if they are accusing Congress of issuing wrong figures and statements, there could not be any forum better than the floor of the House to discuss.”
Maintaining that they would seek “extension of the session”, Jakhar said that they deliberately delayed the session, and then “keep it short…just for five days…out of which, one day has been given to obituaries”.
Approving the summoning of five-day Winter Session from October 28 to November 1, the Punjab Cabinet has fixed the Day 1 for obituary references.
The next two days —October 29 and 30 — the Assembly would take legislative business. October 31 has been dedicated to the non-official business, while the House would adjourn sine die after the proposed legislative business on November 1.
“The State is heading towards nowhere…the issues pertaining to State’s financial status, burdening urban consumers, property tax, need to be discussed. We are going to seek white paper on State’s fiscal health, besides thorough discussion on the same. We are also in favour of longer session,” added Jakhar.