Chandigarh, October 24: The Co-President of Aam Aadmi Party and MLA from Sunam, Aman Arora on Tuesday demanded that a minimum 40 sittings of Punjab Vidhan Sabha in a financial year to be made compulsory as per the Constitution of India. In a letter written to the Speaker of Vidhan Sabha, Arora also demanded live telecast of the proceedings of the House on TV.
Arora said according to ‘Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’, there shall be 3 sessions, namely Budget Session, Summer/Monsoon Session and Winter Session. “It has been further laid down that the total number of sittings in all the Sessions put together ‘shall’ not be less than 40. The use of the word ‘shall’ in this rule shows the unflinching intention to compulsorily have minimum of 40 sittings,” he said.
The AAP leader said it would be pertinent to mention herein that in January 2016, Charanjit Singh Channi, presently Cabinet Minister and then the Leader of Opposition, along with other Congress MLAs held a press conference highlighting the significance of Vidhan Sabha sittings and had at that time urged the then Speaker to follow the mandate of law by having at least 40 sittings of Vidhan Sabha in a year. But it seems that the Congress Government has forgotten the demand that it raised when in Opposition.
Arora said another issue that can improve the functioning of Vidhan Sabha & its members is ‘Live Telecast’ of its proceedings. ‘Live’ telecast of Vidhan Sabha proceedings will ensure accountability of its elected members leading to a more vibrant and strengthened democracy, which unfortunately has been denied to the electorate of Punjab all these years.
Arora said that keeping in view the issues concerning all sections of society in the State, be it the suicide by farmers, unemployed youth, depleting fiscal health of State, Industry & Trading community in a shambles, law & order being tossed by anti-social elements every now and then, schools facing closure, hiked tariffs of electricity and many more, it is imperative that the set rules be followed.
