Budget session likely to be stormy

CHANDIGARH, June 21: The budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha beginning here tomorrow is likely to be stormy with the Congress-led oppo...

CHANDIGARH, June 21: The budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha beginning here tomorrow is likely to be stormy with the Congress-led opposition planning offensive against the Akali Dal Government on the controversial issues including the alleged irregularities in the panchayat elections, transfer of Chandigarh, suicide by farmers and scrapping of Bathinda refinery.

Congress Legislature Party chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today said a meeting of all the opposition leaders in the Vidhan Sabha had been convened tomorrow evening to discuss the strategy. It would be preceded by a meeting of the CLP. She said Punjab had taken the lead in mobilising the opposition jointly against the communal forces.

She was highly critical of the statement of Union Home Minister L. K. Advani on the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and said the ruling Akali Dal should have lodged a strong protest with the BJP government at the centre which it is supporting. It was strange that the Akalis had put under the carpet the issues which they had been taking when out of power.

She said even the refinery project at Bathinda which had been sanctioned during the previous Congress regime had now been cancelled by the BJP government. Similar was the case with the scrapping of the special term loan extended to the state by the Centre.

The opposition would nail the government on the issue of increasing suicides by the farmers in the state. The lack of development would be another major issue. The opposition would also draw the attention of the government to the deteriorating in the law and order situation.

The opposition has been agitating against the government on the issue of alleged irregularities in the panchayat elections and it would be taken up in the House also.

8220;Our party would take up the irregularities and illegalities in the panchayat elections,8221; she said.