Farmers Movement Archive

Haryana monsoon session begins under Covid shadow today, may be cut short

The Haryana Vidhan Sabha session that begins on Wednesday could be wrapped up in a single sitting due to the lurking threat of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa indicated on Tuesday. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta, transport minister Mool Chand Sharma, Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia and four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators — Aseem Goyal (Ambala City), Laxman Napa (Ratia), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda) and Ram Kumar Kashyap (Indri) — have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the session scheduled for 2pm on August 26. Khattar is undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The monsoon session is being convened to meet the constitutional requirement of holding a session within six months of the previous session and to introduce some bills. “Due to the pandemic, some MLAs have also suggested to limit the house proceedings to one day. Due to the prevailing circumstances, the MLAs are reluctant to stay back overnight here,” said Gangwa, who will preside over the assembly proceedings in speaker Gupta’s absence. The final decision about the duration of the session, Gangwa said, will be taken by the business advisory committee (BAC) that will meet before the session on Wednesday. According to deputy speaker, Covid-19 test reports of all other MLAs, who will attend the session, was negative. In the 90-member house, one seat is vacant. The monsoon session will begin under strict social distancing protocols. The house has been sanitised twice and the MLAs will be seated in the audience gallery and the speaker’s gallery, maintaining physical distance. While only one MLA will sit on a bench as against two earlier, the speaker’s as well as visitors’ galleries have been converted into a sitting place for the legislators. Visitors will not be allowed to watch the assembly proceedings this time. The house was first sanitised on Saturday and the exercise was repeated on Tuesday evening. The deputy speaker said 365 employees and officers of the Vidhan Sabha had undergone Covid test, six of whom tested positive. Gangwa said 187 questions were received from MLAs, besides 30 calling attention motions, one private bill and four adjournment motions that were under considerations. He said among the 10 bills likely to be introduced in the house was a bill to reserve 50% seats for women in panchayati raj institutions. Hooda interacts with KhattarLeader of the opposition in Haryana assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had an interaction with Khattar, said he could consider the plea for a shortened session in view of the Covid-19 situation. “However, it all depends on the quantum of legislative business. The number of adjournment motions, calling attention motions and bills tabled will be a factor in deciding the duration of the session,” Hooda said. The Congress has submitted four adjournment motions and 10 calling attention motions. Deputy speaker Gangwa said 40 starred questions have been taken up for the question hour. However, all starred questions have been converted into unstarred questions. A reply to an unstarred question is merely tabled in the house, not expressed verbally.Two calling attention motions raised by INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala on the issue of registries and infant mortality rate have been accepted and others are under consideration. Hooda, meanwhile, said the adjournment motion will be brought by the Congress to discuss three new farm ordinances. Another adjournment motion will also be brought to demand a discussion on the registry and the liquor scam. “We will also bring an adjournment motion in the House to discuss the issue of sacked physical training instructors,” he said. Congress MLA from Faridabad NIT Neeraj Sharma said he has also submitted two calling attention motions regarding the retrenchment of employees by an earth moving equipment company and on the fresh weekend restrictions imposed by the state government entailing closure of shops. Private sector job quota, ‘right to recall’ bills to be tabled in assembly: DushyantChandigarh Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said theirs will be the first state where villagers will have the power to recall panchayat members for not doing their duties.He said a bill in this regard will be tabled in the assembly on Wednesday. He said a bill to reserve 50% seats for women in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) will also be tabled in the assembly.Dushyant said he will also table a bill to give 75% reservation to local candidates in private sector jobs in the house. An ordinance in this regard approved by the cabinet has been reserved by the governor for the consideration of the president. The bill will also be sent to the President.Citing an example, he said many a time a sarpanch is accused of misusing his post and people want him removed. “In this scenario, the right to recall law will give power to people to remove him,” he added.Dushyant said the bill to reserve 50% posts for women in PRIs will open new doors for the women of rural areas in politics. Similarly, a bill to provide 8% reservation to BC -A in PRIs will be presented in the house.

Hindustan Times

26-08-2020

Chandigarh