State

VPP threatens to agitate over roster system

Shillong, March 24: Voice of the People Party (VPP) has warned of agitation over Assembly Speaker Thomas Sangma disallowing a motion on roster system.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, VPP MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit said since it was disallowed in the House, the party has no other option than to agitate.

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He said the allocation of time for the private members’ business was too less during the budget session.

According to an Assembly official, the Speaker adjourned the House at 12 pm being Friday as per the convention and following the rule of the House.

However, the VPP MLA pointed out that the  Speaker should have considered time extension as allotting only two days for the private members’ business is not sufficient.

“If we are not allowed to participate in this august House, we are going to hit the street since this is a serious issue as it has affected this part of the region. This is anti-people and undemocratic for the first time ever in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and it is an attempt on the part of the government to run away from its responsibility,” the VPP chief said.

When pointed out that the roster system is following a court order, Basaiawmoit said the government is selective in implementing the court order.

House adjourned as per rule: CM 

Chief Minister  said the House was adjourned by the Speaker as per rule.

The rule book specifically mentioned that on Friday the House will function from 10 o’clock to 12 o’clock,” Conrad said.

“Some of the opposition stressed on the rules many times and said rules should be followed and that is exactly what the Speaker is doing. He is going as per the rules, as per the business advisory committee (BAC)’s decision and all the points have been mentioned based on that,” Conrad said.

He said there can be many other ways for the opposition to speak about this issue.

“There is the debate on the Governor’s Address, there is the budget discussion, there can be special motions, there can be short discussion – so many options are there. Therefore, the members are free to raise any issue any time. All the issues that have ever been brought up, we have always discussed the matters, we have never shied away from anything and in the future also we will never shy away from any of the issues”, he said.

Mukul flays MDA

TMC MLA and former chief minister Mukul Sangma criticised the state government for trying to run away from being accountable.

“Now if you go by the trend of what has been seen today and also the overall tendency to shrink the duration available for a healthy discussion, deliberation and debate the whole indication is reflective of their tendency to run away from being accountable, the responsible of being accountable particularly in a session where we are passing a full budget,” Mukul  told reporters.

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