The procedure adopted by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in listing vital questions has run into a controversy of sorts. Opposition MlAs, including two independents, on Thursday expressed unhappiness for not listing their questions for the question hour.
While the two independent MlAs from ludhiana — Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains known as Bains brothers — staged their protest by tearing the papers and throwing it in the well of the House, Congress MlA Charanjit Singh Channi refused to take up his listed question for the argument.
During the question hour, Channi pointed to the Speaker that his other important questions were not listed despite the fact that he has specifically given his preference to the Assembly staff. “I preferred other more important questions over the one that is listed now…In protest, I refuse to take up this question,” he told the Speaker Charanjit Sing Atwal.
later, Balwinder and Simarjeet also pointed to the Speaker that none of their question has been listed.
Supporting him, Congress MlA Balbir Singh Sidhu added that many important questions were left out and not listed for the question hour. leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar urged the Speaker to extend the duration of the session so that all questions be taken up.
On this, Atwal said that his role is just to conduct the business of the House. “I can’t do anything in this,” he said. “For all the questions that have been allowed by me, you will get the answers” he added.
Enraged, Bains brothers lodged their protest by tearing the papers and throwing in the Well of the House.
later during the zero hour, Speaker clarified that the questions listed for the question hour were listed proportionately, and as they come. “I list 10 questions from ruling and 10 from opposition…say if I am not doing so,” he said adding that those who give questions in advance are given preference to those who submit late.
ISSUES OF IllEGAl MINING FORCED ADJOURNMENT
Pandemonium prevailed in the House after heated exchange of words between the opposition and ruling benches on the issue of drugs, illegal mining and farmers’ suicide forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House.
During the Zero Hour, the leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar accused the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal for not allowing members of his party to raise the pertinent issues including farmers’ suicide, drugs.
Jakhar and Co jumped into the Well of the House and raised a noisy protest forcing the Speaker to adjourn the Assembly for 25 minutes.
The Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Jakhar was seeking a specific reply from the government on the suicide committed by 25-year-old farmer Kuldeep Singh at Bathinda. “The deceased farmer had left a suicide note in which he held the government responsible for taking such a step,” he pointed.
WAR OF SlOGANEERING
It was a virtual war of sloganeering between the members of the ruling and opposition benches.
After the Speaker left the House announcing adjournment, heated exchanges took place between Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) and SAD MlA Virsa Singh Valtoha and Congress MlAs Raja Amarinder Singh Warring, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Kuljeet Singh Nagra in the form of slogans.
With the sloganeering and acrimonious scenes between them taking the centre-stage after the adjournment, both sides come up with innovative slogans against each other.
CM ASSURES PROBE INTO IllEGAl HOUSING SOCIETIES
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal assured the House that the government will probe into the illegal mushrooming of certain housing societies in Mohali after the Congress MlA Balbir Singh Sidhu alleged that some of them had duped several people by its owners who had left the country.
CONGRESS PROTEST AGAINST INFlATION
Chief Minister Badal has left the Congress legislators disappointed who were waiting at the entrance to greet him with bouquets of onions and pulses to protest against the inflation. Badal, deliberately, delayed his arrival and kept siting in his office.
Jakhar also raised the issue during the zero hour saying that the poor has not got dal under Atta Dal scheme since past one and a half year. He added that the prices of onion has also gone up to Rs70 per kg.