HT Correspondent
AGARTALA, Sept 19: The Tripura Assembly on the first day on Friday witnessed heated exchanges after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) decided to reduce the number of sitting days in the ongoing session, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the state.
Tripura assembly session begins today and would end on September 23.
Related Posts:
Raising objections, Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy alleged widespread corruption across government departments and demanded that the session be extended by at least three more days to allow discussion. CPI(M) MLA Shyamal Chakraborty backed the demand, while Roy questioned the rationale behind keeping the House adjourned on Monday.
“For us, the issues of farmers, unemployed youths and common people are equally important. Why should the Assembly not function just because the Prime Minister is visiting?” he asked.
Chief Whip and BJP legislator Kalyani Roy countered the opposition’s charge, pointing out that Congress members had skipped the BAC meeting despite being served prior notice.
Former minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman also criticized the decision, noting that Assembly sessions in Tripura are already limited. “The BAC shifted Monday’s business to Tuesday since the PM will be in Tripura. But this sets a bad precedent. Perhaps the Prime Minister himself is unaware of it — otherwise, he might have advised that the House continue,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury echoed similar concerns, remarking that adjourning the House during the PM’s visit does not reflect well on the state.
Defending the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath argued that most senior officials, secretaries and department heads would be preoccupied with the Prime Minister’s programme. “If they are absent, who will respond to members’ queries in the House? The decision was taken unanimously in the BAC after discussion. I assure that the next session will have more days,” he said.
Later, Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Paul tabled the BAC report, which was adopted by the House through voting.
