Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant had to adjourn the proceedings of the House on Wednesday midway stating that the department concerned was deficient in preparations for holding discussions on the demand proposals for the financial year 2019-2020. It was for the first time in the history of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly when the House proceedings had to be adjourned in this way.
Soon after the taking two Call Attention Motions under Rule 138 (1) of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Rules and Procedures, Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant allowed notices of Legislators during the Zero Hour. Thereafter as per the list of business for the day, discussions on demand proposals for the financial year 2019-20 of departments headed by Minister T S Singhdeo, which include Panchayat and Rural Development, Financial Assistance to 3-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions, Public Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Commercial Tax, Planning Economics and Statistics and 20-point programme implementation departments was scheduled.
This was followed by discussions on demand proposals for the financial year 2019-20 of departments headed by Minister Tamradhawaj Sahu, which include Public Works Department, Police, Home, Jail, Religious Trust and Endowment, Cultural and Tourism departments.
However, as the reading of notices by Legislators during Zero Hour ended, Panchayat Minister T S Singhdeo stood up and requested the Speaker to postpone the discussions on his departments’ demand proposal since the preparations of his departments were not up to the mark, hence a future date should be allocated. Thereafter, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Commenting on the development, former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh termed it as a major gaffe and demanded that action should be taken.
Speaking to mediapersons in the lobby, Dr Singh said since 1990 he’s attending the House proceedings during erstwhile Madhya Pradesh and over 15 years in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, but never ever such a development had taken place. He said this serious mistake points out towards the state government’s approach and seriousness towards the proceedings of Legislative Assembly.
It also exposed the earnestness of the officials in Assembly
proceedings. He added that even when the date for discussions was pre-fixed it was unfortunate that departmental annual reports were not distributed among the Legislators on time.Without studying departmental report how come the opposition take up issues. This incident depicts the negligence and lethargy on the part of state government, that too in very beginning of tenure.
Reacting to the allegations, Panchayat Minister T S Singhdeo said the printing of annual report of the department got delayed. The state government was ready to carry on with discussions but the opposition members objected as they were not ready to carry out discussions without studying the annual report. He said despite the opposition was in power since last 15 years, they needed annual report and time for preparations. He said he had held discussions with Ajay Chandrakar who sought more time as they have not studied the report.
Leader of Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J)-BSP in the House Dharamjit Singh said it is in the parliamentary traditions that before going for discussions on demand proposals, annual report of department concerned is tabled on the floor of the House and distributed among the Legislators, so that they can study it and subsequently participate. This is gross negligence on the part of government, Minister and officials concerned and it depicts how much serious the present government is on Assembly proceedings.
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