The just-concluded Assembly session has proved conspicuous with the Trivendra Singh Government having steered clear of the two crucial bills related to the appointment of a lokayukta and the transfer beyond placing the reports of the respective standing committees in the House.
This goes against the pre-election commitment of BJP to table the two crucial bills in the House at the earliest if it was voted to power. True, the two bills had been tabled in the House in the first session of the fourth Assembly which had been convened to pass the vote on account. However, as the Opposition had demanded both the bills to be referred to select committees in view of their extensive ramifications, the State Government had done the same.
But the catch in the situation was that despite the opposition having pledged to support the passage of the lokayukta bill while withdrawing its earlier demand of sending it to a select committee, citing the importance of the ombudsman, the Government had decided to send the bill too to the select committee. The move had fuelled speculations whether the State Government was in favour of taking time in constituting the anti-graft body in negation of the ruling party’s earlier commitment. Strengthening the suspicion, the State Government had maintained a stony silence over the two bills during the second session of Vidhan Sabha convened to pass state goods and service tax (SGST) bill. During the just-concluded budget session, the state government tabled the reports of the standing committees at the fag end of the last day of the session. The opposition cried foul, saying that the reports had been tabled in haste and as part of a premeditated plan to bar them from speaking over the reports thus tabled in the House.
However, the treasury bench rubbished the opposition charge, averring that they had tabled the reports in line with their commitment. Once the reports have been tabled in the House the MlAs have no other option but to wait for the next session that is not likely to be convened soon.
With the bills hanging fire, the State Government might breathe a sigh of relief. But the State watchers as well as the opposition are wondering why the reports were tabled in the House at such late hours and in such a haste just before the House was adjourned sine die. “The session having continued for six days since June 8, the State Government chose to bide its time and acted only when the House was about to be adjourned. This is something which must intrigue curiosity in the political circles,” said a state watcher.
The opposition says that the double dealing of the ruling party has been exposed through the hush hush they have indulged in to stop the opposition from subjecting them to scrutiny. “This clearly means that there is a gulf between what the ruling party professes and what it acts,” said a senior opposition leader.
However, while talking to The Pioneer, the State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant said on Saturday that the state government had done the right thing by tabling the reports of the standing committees related to the two crucial bills in the House. “We met several times to give final shape to the reports. Now, things are in the House and we would have to wait till the next session is held,” he added.