Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma today said that the State government instead of making an appeal should call for a meeting in regard to the issues to be raised by the opposition in the Assembly’s autumn session, which went underway here.

When sought for his comment on the request made by deputy chief minister in-charge parliamentary affairs Prestone Tynsong that the opposition should sit down together and decide on the issues to avoid overlapping and wasting of time, Sangma said, “You should put the question back to the deputy CM in-charge Parliamentary affairs. It is considered as an approach to see that okay there is a healthy environment created in sync with the tradition that we are proud of in as far as the tradition of our August House is concerned, the dignity, the quorum and quality of debate and deliberation in the House has always been a matter of pride for the people of the State.”

“Therefore, in that line, if the government is sending that kind of appeal or whatever you may call it then we expect them to call for a meeting. They can’t just drop their idea on the streets. There is a way of doing things,” he said.

Stating that the present House has many newly elected members, Sangma said, “There is a need to have a kind of floor management which should be preceded by the kind of discussion amongst the political parties both in the ruling and the opposition that is what we are trying to do.”

“At the same time, we also intend to give more time, more space for our friends who are newly elected,” he added.