With expert committee recommending an increase of over 400 per cent in basic salary and 300 per cent in allowances of the Delhi MlAs, questions are being raised over the way the law makers had performed in the past eight months in the national Capital. While one of the key functions of the legislators is to deliberate upon issues concerning their respective constituencies on the floor of the House in the Assembly, the MlAs were able to participate in only 14 Assembly sittings.
This is also the first occasion when the Delhi Assembly did not even convene its Monsoon Session. During erstwhile Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s 15-year-old regime and five-year BJP regime between 1993-98, Budget, Monsoon and Winter Sessions of the Assembly were held every year without exception. Interestingly, the expert committee on MlAs salary has recommended allowance Rs10,000 per month for research work.
The AAP Government’s first Session was for two days in March, during which the legislators were administered oath by the Speaker. Again, the Assembly was convened for two days to discuss the Union Government’s notification defining the powers of the lieutenant Governor and the City Government.
The Government convened its first Budget Session for eight days in June. What’s more important is the fact that only two days had been allocated for Question Hour Session, during which the legislators get the chance to raise issues related to their respective constituencies.
leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta said the AAP Government was not serious enough to solve the pressing issues of Delhi. “In a democratic set up, due importance is given to Question Hour Session so that legislators can raise problems of their respective constituencies. Here we have no platform where we can raise issues of our constituencies.”
local Congress leader Chattar Singh said it was very unfortunate that a political outfit which got 67 of the 70 seats had failed to perform its primary duty to serve the people of this city. “This party is only playing politics. They have no respect for the democratic process. If the AAP was concerned about its citizens, it would have definitely convened the Monsoon Session where pressing issues concerning the city could have been deliberated upon.”