The State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed Second Supplementary Budget for the Financial Year 2018-19 amid Opposition party’s slogans and clamour on several issues including the para teachers’ ongoing strike. The House, on the occasion, also passed three Bills and took back 2 legislations during the day.
Like many occasions earlier, the Assembly could not function properly today as the Opposition party leaders demanded work adjournment and Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ statement on the issue of para teachers as soon as the House proceedings begun on Wednesday.
As the legislators from Opposition camp came into the well of the House demanding adjournment motion and CM’s replay on the issue, Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren said that this has happened for the first time in the history of the State that teachers’ were losing their lives during the protest.
“Government is appearing insensitive and cruel towards the demands of the para teachers. We demand immediate discussion on the issue so the work adjournment motion must be permitted and CM should give his reply on the matter,” said Soren.
However, the ruling party legislators were in favour of calling attention motion to discuss the issue. Although the Speaker denied work adjournment motion, Opposition party MLAs kept raising their demand for the same. JVM MLA Pradeep Yadav said that more than 13 teachers have lost their lives during protests so the issue must be discussed under adjournment motion. The House was adjourned till 12 noon by the Speaker amid din.
When the MLAs reassembled at 12 the issue was again raised by the Opposition. Amid sloganeering and protests, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 PM. The House reassembled at 2:15 PM when the Opposition party legislators again started raising slogans and demanded for work adjournment motion. Ruling party MLAs said that the Opposition party MLAs do not want to discuss the issue as the government was ready for a debate under calling attention motion. BJP legislator RK Kishore said that the Opposition wants to make para teachers as their cadres but this was not going to happen.
JVM leader Pradeep Yadav said that he would take back his cut motion on the demands of Rural Development department on the condition that the CM gives his reply on para teachers’ issue.
Meanwhile, several MLAs of JMM, Congress and JVM came into the well of the House and started raising slogans demanding compensation for the kin of deceased para teachers. They also sought regularisation and pay hike of the teachers, working for over 15 years in the State.
Amid the noise and sloganeering the Speaker proceeded with legislative work and put forward the demands of various departments under the Second Supplementary Budget for the year 2018-19. The budget of Rs 1117.12 crore was passed in the House along with three Bills -- Jharkhand Viniyog (Vankhya 4) Bill 2018, Jharkhand Technical University (Amendment) Bill 2018, Jharkhand Good and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill 2018 and two separate legislations were taken back. The House was adjourned till Thursday 11 AM by the Speaker after the legislative work.