lack of coordination and divergent strategies of the ‘divided’ Congress came to fore in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday as some of its MlAs staged an eager walkout on the issue of property tax, while others dragged behind.
The Speaker, on the other hand, has assured the main opposition party to take up all the issues, they listed in their letter to him, for discussion and devoting sufficient time for the same. At the same time, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal maintained that the state government would withdraw property tax only if the Centre took away its condition of imposing the same for the release of central grants.
The uproar persisted as the Speaker denied discussion on the issue of property tax, raised by Congress MlA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu. While the Congress MlAs demanded debate on the “issue of public importance”, the Speaker Atwal went on maintaining that the discussion would be held when the Bill on the same would be presented before the House, and opposition would be given sufficient time.
Unhappy, Congress MlAs entered the well of the House raising slogans to withdraw the property tax, when the leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar, also the Congress legislature Party (ClP) leader, wanted to make a point. Visibly reluctant, Jakhar was asked by the fellow legislators to join, and staged the walkout. Amidst pandemonium, local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi charged Congress MlAs of running away from discussion on the issue. “We have all the letters to show how the Centre forced the state government to impose property tax,” he added.
Even as the MlAs staged walkout, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal decided to stay back. Bhattal clarified, “I strongly oppose property tax and also fully supports my party’s decision to walk out. But, I am here to raise issue concerning my constituency and to get reply for my calling attention notice.”
Sukhbir told Bhattal that it was their Central Government which has levied property tax, “ask them to remove conditions to get central grants, we will withdraw property tax”. “Don’t worry, the Congress would respond to this during the discussion on the issue,” Bhattal was quick to add, before the Congress MlAs returned to the House after 10 minutes.
Two-hour debate everyday
Zeroing upon issues raised by both the ruling and opposition parties to be discussed in the House during the ongoing session, the Speaker has decided to hold two-hour debate every day — taking up two issues every day with an hour each. In the coming days, the House would witness deliberations on the issues ranging from illegal sand mining, property tax, regularization of illegal colonies, paddy procurement, advance tax, water logging, to the drugs abuse and trafficking, and the price rise.
The decision was taken during the House proceedings, as the Speaker has ruled out any possibility of extending the session. Earlier, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has requested the Speaker to set aside sufficient time for the issues the Congress wanted to raise.