Opposition members at the UP Assembly demanded increase in number of sittings of the House during the ongoing Budget session. As per agenda of the house approved by the Business Advisory Committee, the Budget session commenced on July 11 and would conclude on July 28 and was likely to have 14 sittings.
Raising the issue through a notice under Rule 300 during the Zero Hour, SP member Narendra Verma said that against the norm of holding debate on general budget for five days, the government has allotted only four days while for the debate on the grant wise budget, only 7 days against the convention of 15 days.
Verma said that the BJP had promised a minimum of 90 days sitting of the House in a year but the government has failed to honour its promise in the very first Budget session of the 17th Assembly.
Parliamentary Affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna however defended the government move saying that the sitting of the House was decided in the Business Advisory Committee meeting where all political parties were represented.
Rejecting the notice, Speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit said that the number of sittings of the House for the Budget session was a consensual decision of all parties and the issue could not be raised in the House.
In another issue, some members also raised illegal occupants squatting in garages of MlA hostels and demanded that the Speaker should look into the matter. He said that the garages were meant for parking of vehicles of MlAs but they were instead being used as barber shops and eating joints.
BSP member Ritesh Pandey demanded that Assembly website on which members load their questions, should be open 24 X 7 so that they could submit their questions any time. He said presently the members get only five days in a week from Monday to Friday to submit their questions.
Speaker Hridya Narain Dikshit assured the members that he would look into the matter.