Guwahati, Sept 11: Assam Assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary on Monday admitted an adjournment motion to discuss the power scenario in the state, while allowing ‘discussions’ on two other such motions and laying of important bills and reports in the house.
Daimary agreed to the adjournment motion as well as the discussions on the suggestion of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the first day of the autumn session.
As soon as the question hour ended, Daimary said he had received two notices for adjournment motion on the power scenario from the Congress and from two other opposition MLAs.
Another motion for adjournment was brought by AIUDF on a purported arms training camp organized by the Bajrang Dal in Mangaldai some time back, while the fourth one pertained to the risk to river embankments that was brought by Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed.
After the MLAs spoke on the admissibility of the motions, Sarma requested the speaker to allow the motions.
He maintained that if the motions were disallowed, the opposition parties would stage a walkout.
“This is the first time that the Assembly is meeting in its permanent hall since the capital of the state moved from Shillong. I don’t want it to start with a walkout,” said the chief minister.
The new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly was inaugurated on June 30 by Parliament speaker Om Birla. It was earlier functioning from an old tea warehouse, which was converted for the sittings when Dispur became the capital of the state in 1972.
Accepting the chief minister’s request, Daimary agreed to allow the motions and called for a business advisory committee (BAC) meeting in his chamber, adjourning the house for 15 minutes, to chalk out the procedure.
When the house re-assembled, the speaker said that it was decided to admit the issue of power scenario as an adjournment motion, allotting one hour time each for the opposition to speak and the minister to reply.
The matters of the two other adjournment motions were taken up for discussion with only the mover speaking and the minister giving the response.
Daimary also allowed for laying of important bills and reports in the house, stating that since it is a five-day session, a delay in introducing the bills will not give the members enough time before these are taken up for consideration.
When Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) legislator Phani Bhusan Choudhury pointed out that other business cannot be taken up after an adjournment motion is admitted, Daimary said that he was making an exception and using his power as the speaker to permit it this time.
On the other hand, the Chief Minister also unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the new assembly complex on the inaugural day of the autumn session.
The autumn session of the assembly is the first sitting of the house in the new building.
‘‘Honoured to have unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi ahead of the first session of the Assam Legislative Assembly in the new complex’’, Sarma posted ‘X’.
‘‘The enduring message of peace, nonviolence and harmony (of Mahatma Gandhi) continues to guide and inspire us. Bapuji is a beacon for our nation’’.
The new complex is spread across 10 acres and houses the main building, which will also accommodate the House and annexe buildings for administrative and other sections. It has a seating capacity for over 180 lawmakers.
The current strength of the Assembly is 126 MLAs. (PTI)
