Oppn cribs over short session

CHANDIGARH, Dec 21: The Opposition parties condemned the Punjab government for not distributing well in advance the copies of Bills sough...

CHANDIGARH, Dec 21: The Opposition parties condemned the Punjab government for not distributing well in advance the copies of Bills sought to be passed in the current two-day assembly session which began here today.

Hardev Arshi CPI termed the calling of a short 8211; two-day assembly session as a 8220;mockery of democratic practices and institutions.8221; The first day, was devoted to the obituary references and the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Congress candidate from Adampur Kanwaljit Singh Lalli. The House would transact the passage of three bills tomorrow. Apparently, the government did not want full spirited debate on the Bills, Arshi lamented.

He asked how could the government expect the MLAs to read over 400 pages pertaining to the Bills during the intervening night of December 20 and December 21 ? The Bills would then be passed without application of mind in a House where the SAD-BJP had an overwhelming majority.

Avtar Singh Brar Congress demanded that the Speaker of the House should have applied his independent mind while deciding the time-frame of the Assembly session. Practically, it would be a one-day session and during the same day, the government wanted to transact collossal business. Obviously, the government did not want the members of the august House to discuss the issues threadbare. The government proposes to pass the crucial Infrastructure Development Bill, Punjab Municipal Bill and Punjab Rural Development Bill during the current session.

Congress Legislative Party leader Chaudhary Jagjit Singh was of the view that the treasury benches were perhaps scared of the upbeat mood that Congress legislators were in after the Adampur by-election. Moreover, Jagjit Singh said, the coalition appeared to be evading debate and discussion that might come up in the House regarding ongoing tussle between the Badal and the Tohra camps. Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Akali Dal Mann said the ruling party was only interested in merely completing the technical requirement of calling the Assembly session within six months of the previous session, and was not interested to debate the issue.