Amid strong protests by the Opposition party over dozens of issues on the third day of special Vidhan Sabha session, the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal has ordered committee to look after three breach of privilege cases which were highlighted by the legislators.
The legislators also cornered the Congress-led State Government over the Governor's customary speech in the second session of proceedings on Tuesday. Seven Bills, including the lokayukta Bill and Right To Service (Amendment) Bill, were passed by the House.
The third and last day of Vidhan Sabha started with Salt MlA SS Jeena's question on the funds sanctioned through Union Planning Commission in 13th finance commission. Replying to query, State Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh told that `1,000 crore has been sanctioned and further apprised that the financial condition of Uttarakhand is normal.
Jeena also grilled the Minister over the deteriorating condition of the hotel owners especially in the disaster hit areas of the State; Vikasnagar MlA Nav Prabhat asked about the condition of mobile health vans in the State and also expressed concern over the poor condition of medical and health facilities in the remote areas of the State.
Jeena also asked for a probe into not sanctioning of funds for the marriage of SC/ST girls and the condition of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) in the State. Defending the State Government, State Health Minister SS Negi apprised the House that salary of the ASHA workers was reduced after the launch of Khushiyon-Ki-Sawari scheme for the transportation of the expecting mothers and the State Government again revised the salary of the workers.
Ranipur MlA Adesh Chauhan expressed concern over the outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers and was also joined by Doiwala MlA Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. After the end of question hour, Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi expressed his concern over mis-management at Mussoorie after it witnessed snowfall on the last weekend. Joshi lamented that locals and tourists were not allowed to go to Mussoorie besides basic amenities were badly damaged after the recent snowfall.
Meanwhile, Nishank highlighted the State Government's callous approach for not redressing the grievances of those villagers who faced the brunt of disaster despite the fact that Vidhan Sabha Speaker GS Kunjwal ordered the State Government to take swift action in the last session.
Echoing the same feelings, the leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Ajay Bhatt also expressed his concern over the mismanagement in the disaster affected areas of the State and termed it breach of privilege. After listening to legislators, Vidhan Sabha Speaker announced to shift the case to privilege committee.
In a question filed by Jeena for not sanctioning funds for carrying the development activities in the respective constituencies of legislators, he was collectively joined by Nishank, Haridwar MlA Madan Kaushik, Ajay Bhatt, Badrinath MlA Rajendra Bhandari and legislators created ruckus over the MlA fund. Reacting to protest, Vidhan Sabha Speaker, again marked the issue to privilege committee.
The Opposition again cornered the State Government over lokayukta Bill and the BJP legislators lamented that Bill was not tabled in the House despite it getting the President's approval. The leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha said that the Bill could be amended only after discussion in the House and again termed it breach of privilege as the State Government did not table the signed Bill in the last session.
After witnessing the protests by the BJP legislators in the House, Vidhan Sabha Speaker again sent the matter to privilege committee and announced the adjournment of the House till 3 pm. Haridwar MlA Kaushik expressed concern over the acquisition of land at Bhupatwala by the Government agencies for series of fetes organised at Haridwar.
The Minister cleared that the State Government will compensate them if the Government agencies acquire land and the same feeling was shared by the Ranipur MlA Chauhan, who also expressed concern over the acquisition of land at Salempur. Didihaat MlA BS Chufal cornered the State Government over the lack of development activities at his constituency and demanded from the State Government for sanctioning fund to complete all the pending projects in the given time frame.
Kichha MlA Rajesh Shukla threw light over the dictatorship attitude of the city police as BJP activist Shrikant Rathore was arrested by the city police late in the night,
accusing him of criminal
conspiracy.
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna assured that backlog of the SC/ST seats would be fulfilled at earliest after Bageshwar MlA Chandan Ram Das expressed concern over the vacant posts of reserved category in the different Government departments. MlA Ganesh Joshi also expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of hotel owners in his constituency and demanded from the State Government to take concrete steps for redressing their grievances. The BJP legislators also protested when Disaster Mitigation Minister State Yashpal Arya spoke about the steps taken by the State Government for redressing the grievances of disaster hit victims. The House tabled seven different Bills for amending it and out that, discussions were going on till late in the evening over lokayukta Bill as according to BJP legislators, the Bill is made with the motive to curb the corruption cases in the government department.
The leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Bhatt lamented that the State Government should tabled the Bill in the last Vidhan Sabha session held in September, last year. According to him, the State Government should draft the proposal for amending the Bill only after implementing it in the State in order to curb the corruption cases in the Government departments.
Echoing the same feeling, Nishank said that House will decide whether the Bill should be amended or not and further alleged that the State Government is purposely wanted to amend the Bill in order to support corrupt officials in the state as Nishank termed that the State Government wanted to enact the toothless Bill. He said that Bill passed during the BJP regime in the state is termed as model Bill to curb the corruption cases in the Government departments. The Opposition boycotted proceedings after this and the lokayukta Bill was passed by the House. The House was adjourned sine-die on Tuesday.