The Harish Rawat-led Uttarakhand Government made history by inaugurating a three-day long Vidhan Sabha session at Gairsain on Monday. By doing this he has tried to touch the hearts of the people of the State, especially the statehood agitators.
A tent, which is generally used for religious functions or exhibitions at the Parade Ground in Dehradun, was erected at the Government Girls Inter College, Gairsain. Here the Speaker of Uttarakhand legislative Assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal, took his seat on an elevated stage at the centre of the tented hall. The members from the Opposition and Treasury benches took their assigned seats as they have been doing since the new House was composed in 2012.
As soon as the House session began in the morning, the leader of the Opposition, Ajay Bhatt, tried to grill the Government on the poor reconstruction and relief work underway in the state in the aftermath of the June 2013 disaster. "I along with the other BJP MlAs demand discussion under rule 310 as the issue concerns the affected people of the disaster-hit areas.
"Almost one year has passed since the disaster but the roads and the bridges continue to be in a state of disrepair. Had the Government contracted work to the local contractors the work could have been completed by now. The affected people of Badrinath tried in vain to draw the attention of the government towards their miserable condition. But no one paid any heed," said Bhatt, while stressing on the demand for discussion under rule 310.
On behalf of the Opposition, he also stressed on the need to take immediate safety measures to protect Joshiyara in Uttarkashi before the beginning of monsoon this year. However, Speaker Kunjwal declined the request and said the discussion would be held under rule 58. While the Opposition members decried the Government, the Chief Minister in his reply offered condolence to the people who lost their loved ones in the natural disaster.
"We offer our condolences and also laud the armed forces who risked their lives to help our people. The Opposition should not be critical of our work but lend constructive support in our efforts to start the Char Dham Yatra this year. Our men from the National Institute of Mountaineering managed to clear the path so that the first batch of pilgrims could visit Kedarnath. It is due to the blessings of lord Kedarnath that our men constructed new routes in the shortest possible time," he said. Significantly, Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi, who is away to USA on a tour, Surendra Rakesh, who is ill, Rural Development Minister Pritam Singh who is also ill and MlA Amrita Rawat did not attend the session.
Even former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who had held the first Cabinet meeting at Gairsain on November 14, 2012 and laid the foundation stone for the Assembly building here on January 14, 2013, was missing on the historic occasion.
Opposition MlAs Yatishwaranand, Pushkar Singh Dhami and Sanjay Gupta boycotted the session decrying the government for its decision to hold the Assembly session at Gairsain.
Besides, BJP MlA Madan Kaushik also raised a breach of privilege issue and alleged that despite Assembly session called by the Harish Rawat Government, the Government disclosed information to the media about the Cabinet meeting held at Almora.