News Analysis India

Tag: Assembly session

  • Tussle between Punjab Governor & AAP Govt over, Governor calls for assembly session on Sept 27

    Express News Service

    The tussle between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and AAP Government over convening the one-day special assembly session has finished as of now with Purohit agreeing to call the third session of the Vidhan Sabha on September 27.

    Sources said that after the Governor was satisfied with the reply and thus he agreed to summon the session. As there were several meetings between the officials in Punjab Office of Governor and Chief Ministers Office after which the government send the details of the business.

    In order issued by the governor reads,“ In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by virtue of clause (1) of Article 174 of the constitution  of India, I Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab, hereby summon the sixteenth vidhan sabha of the state of Punjab to meet for its third session at 11 AM on Tuesday September 27 in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha hall, Vidhan Bhawan, Chandigarh.’’

    The secretary of the state assembly yesterday informed the Office of the Governor that issues of stubble burning, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and power supply would be taken up. “ In addition, business on different issues as per notices received from members may also be taken up during the session as perrelevant provisions of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha,” it read.

    It also stated that details of legislative business were never ever asked earlier and never supplies to the governor, therefore the demand of these details cannot be a condition precedent  for calling of a session or delaying  in conveying a session once decided by the council of ministers the decision of the latterbinding on the governor.

    Sources said that the government had told the governor that it wants to discuss these three issues but it is still not clear if the government will bring in a confidence motion or not.

    In a letter issued by the office of the governor yesterday to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann read,“ After reading your statements, it appears to me that perhaps you are ‘too much’ angry with me. I think your legal advisors are not briefing you adequately. Perhaps your opinion about me will definitely changeafter reading the provisions of Article 167 and 168 of the constitution, which I’m quoting for your ready reference.’’

    “While Article 167 states that it shall be the duty of the Chief Minister of each state to communicate to the Governor all decisions of the council of ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation. To furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for and if the governor so requires, to submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the council. While article 168  states for every state there shall be a legislature which shall consist of the governor and in states of two houses and in other states one house,’’ stated.

    The tussle between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and AAP Government over convening the one-day special assembly session has finished as of now with Purohit agreeing to call the third session of the Vidhan Sabha on September 27.

    Sources said that after the Governor was satisfied with the reply and thus he agreed to summon the session. As there were several meetings between the officials in Punjab Office of Governor and Chief Ministers Office after which the government send the details of the business.

    In order issued by the governor reads,“ In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by virtue of clause (1) of Article 174 of the constitution  of India, I Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab, hereby summon the sixteenth vidhan sabha of the state of Punjab to meet for its third session at 11 AM on Tuesday September 27 in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha hall, Vidhan Bhawan, Chandigarh.’’

    The secretary of the state assembly yesterday informed the Office of the Governor that issues of stubble burning, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and power supply would be taken up. “ In addition, business on different issues as per notices received from members may also be taken up during the session as per
    relevant provisions of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha,” it read.

    It also stated that details of legislative business were never ever asked earlier and never supplies to the governor, therefore the demand of these details cannot be a condition precedent  for calling of a session or delaying  in conveying a session once decided by the council of ministers the decision of the latter
    binding on the governor.

    Sources said that the government had told the governor that it wants to discuss these three issues but it is still not clear if the government will bring in a confidence motion or not.

    In a letter issued by the office of the governor yesterday to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann read,“ After reading your statements, it appears to me that perhaps you are ‘too much’ angry with me. I think your legal advisors are not briefing you adequately. Perhaps your opinion about me will definitely change
    after reading the provisions of Article 167 and 168 of the constitution, which I’m quoting for your ready reference.’’

    “While Article 167 states that it shall be the duty of the Chief Minister of each state to communicate to the Governor all decisions of the council of ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation. To furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for and if the governor so requires, to submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the council. While article 168  states for every state there shall be a legislature which shall consist of the governor and in states of two houses and in other states one house,’’ stated.

  • Duration of monsoon session can’t be extended due to COVID-19: Maharashtra CM in letter to Governor

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday wrote a letter to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, in which he defended the government’s decision of holding the monsoon session of the state legislature only for two days starting July 5, saying that its duration cannot be extended in view of the coronavirus situation.

    He also appeared non-committal on holding the legislative assembly speaker’s election during the two-day session, saying there was no “time-frame” for it.

    Thackeray also urged Koshyari to pursue with the Centre the state government’s demand of sharing the empirical data on the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in order to take steps for restoring the political reservation for the community in local civic bodies.

    Recently, Koshyari had written a letter to Thackeray, asking him to extend the duration of the upcoming monsoon and fill the post of the legislative assembly speaker urgently citing the demands raised by a BJP delegation.

    In his reply letter, Thackeray said the duration of the legislature session cannot be extended in view of the second wave of the pandemic and the threat of a possible third wave.

    “Medical experts have predicted a severe third wave,” he said.

    Thackeray said that taking care of the health of the people and the elected representatives in the state was the responsibility of his government.

    He said the decision to hold the monsoon session for two days was taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cases of Delta Plus variant of the virus reported in several districts of the state.

    The government was trying to hold the election for the legislative assembly speaker’s post at the earliest, he said.

    “It is better if each and every MLA can participate in the election process. There is no point in doing things in haste. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the union health ministry guidelines, an RT-PCR test done within 72 hours is held valid. So it is not correct to declare a date in advance for holding the speaker’s election,” the CM said in the letter.

    Thackeray said deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal is officiating as the speaker and he had overseen the proceedings during the budget session held earlier this year.

    “There is no violation of constitutional provision. There is no time-frame to hold the speaker’s election,” he added.

    The CM also said the government has written to the State Election Commission (SEC), requesting it to postpone the by-elections to Panchayat Samitis.

    “We are expecting a positive response from the commission in view of the threat of spread of the COVID-19,” he said.

    The SEC had recently declared elections to five Zilla Parishads and the byelections to seats in 33 Panchayat Samitis that were rendered vacant and converted to general category following the Supreme Court verdict quashing OBC quota in local bodies.

    “We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a constitutional solution to the issue. Empirical data of OBCs is required to provide representation to the community in local bodies. The data is with the central government. I urge you to also pursue with the Centre to provide the empirical data of the 2011 census to enable the state government to take further steps,” he said.

    The BJP had last week held a ‘chakka jam’ or road blockade protests across Maharashtra last week alleging that the state government had failed short to defend the OBC quota in the Supreme Court and to provide the empirical data.