Govt assures to extend Assembly sessions by 2-3hrs daily

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: The opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) today withdrew its amendment motion to the allocation of time proposed by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) for the current Assembly’s autumn session after the government assured to extend the session by 2-3 hours every day.

 

Earlier while moving his motion, Nongrum said he was unhappy on seeing the calendar as the allocation of 5 working days is too short, especially when the government convenes the Assembly only twice a year.

 

“And giving only 2 days to Private Members’ Business is not enough, when there are so many pressing issues concerning the state,” he added.

 

He said there are many important issues concerning the state which include ranking of the state as per national index on poverty and education is the lowest in the entire country, menace of drugs, student concerns on the National Education Policy (NEP), the cry of educated youth who are not gainfully employed, loopholes in methodology for state quota seats in MBBS, a parliamentary amendment to the Forest Conservation Act, disruption of environmental public hearing for expansion of cement factory in East Jaintia Hills, high handedness of police in public protests, continuing imbroglio on them metor and the question of funding for Shillong Cherry Blossom festival.

 

“So with deep concern I ask, can these burning issues and many more, which directly affect the common people of the state, be sufficiently addressed in just 5 days of House sittings? Why such an attempt to restrict the length of Session? What is the underlying agenda?… A short assembly session is nothing less than the murder of democracy.”

 

“(Therefore), I am of the opinion that allocation of time for Private Members’ Business should be extended to as many days as Government Business and that the Calendar for Private Members’ Business should not be scheduled on a Friday when House sitting concludes at 12 noon,” Nongrum added.

 

Supporting the motion, VPP chief and Nongkrem legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit said, “I feel it would be in the best interest of the people of the state that the House sitting is extended  for some more days and timing increase so that we can dispose of (the many) issues.”

 

He also reminded the government that the opposition is there to criticize the government constructively in order to take the State forward.

 

Replying to the motion, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Parliamentary Affairs Prestone Tynsong said, “In fact that day when we had the BAC meeting, we had already discussed the details with all members and we fixed it for five days’ session.”

 

“(However) during the five days’ session, under your (Speaker) wisdom Sir we said we can extend (the session) to 2-3 hours, if necessary. So I calculated that if we extend 2-3 hours in five days, it will be more or less more than 1 day,” he added.

 

Agreeing that the issues to be raised are very important, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “The only point here is I would like to request especially from the opposition side, while submitting the issues, it would be appropriate if they sit down together (and decide).”

 

Tynsong said he has seen that be it questions, motions, zero hour notice etc., the issues are overlapping and the same subject members are submitting and replying (to the same subject) will lead to unnecessary wasting of time.

 

“So if they (opposition) have this kind of discussion, nothing like it. They can submit (the issues) where your office can regulate (the time accordingly),” he said while requesting the Speaker to approve the allocation of time proposed by the BAC.

 

Following the assurance to extend the time of the session, Nongrum also agreed to withdraw the motion of amendment.

Two drug peddlers held in Ri-Bhoi

The Ri-Bhoi District Police on Wednesday arrested two drug peddlers including one woman and recovered a drug consignment from them.

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Reportedly, the drug peddlers were transporting the consignment from Tripura to Bihar in a tourist bus bearing registration number AS 01LC 1412, where they were arrested by the ANTF Team Ri Bhoi District in a Naka check at around 9 AM in Byrnihat.

The two drug peddlers have been identified as Rohit Kumar Mogalpura Barkhat Khan Ka Akhara, Jhauganj, Bihar and Premlata Devi of Panchayat Lagar, Gram Timapur Lagar, Bihar. A total of five packages of different sizes of illegal contraband and two mobile phones were seized from the two arrested.

Preliminary testing suggests that the recovered contraband was around 16.2 kg and the test result of the preliminary test conducted on the spot showed positive for Marijuana.

Meanwhile, the two have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further investigation is underway.

ADCs say ‘NO’ to implementation of Uniform Civil Code

The three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) have unanimously decided to jointly pass a resolution to oppose the Centre’s move to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.

The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the chief executive members (CEMs) of the three Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) – held in Shillong here today.

“We have unanimously decided that we will jointly pass a resolution that implementation of UCC in the Sixth Schedule area will be totally opposed (by us) and we also pass a resolution in our respective councils soon regarding this matter,” KHADC chief Titosstarwell Chyne told reporters after the meeting.

The UCC is a proposal to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply on all citizens equally.

He said that the meeting had discussed at length the intention of the central government to introduce the UCC Bill in the country while adding that “we feel that UCC will directly had an impact on the powers and functions of the ADCs especially with our customs, our traditional practices, community as a whole.”

When asked if a special session will be convened in this regard, Chyne said hopefully a special session will be called by next month as they would like to speed up this matter.

“There are so many problems as I have said that it (UCC) will affect our traditional customs like marriage system. Once this UCC is implemented, we will have a uniform marriage system but here in our custom we have different, so religious and traditional custom will be affected. As Scheduled Tribe, we feel implementation of this UCC will not be acceptable in the state,” he said.

Further, the KHADC chief said that the state government will also have to go in the same line once a resolution is passed by the three ADCs as was done in the case of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“…the CAA has been exempted in the Scheduled area I think the UCC should also be exempted from the Sixth Schedule. Therefore, we are demanding for exemption of the UCC from the Sixth Schedule area,” he further maintained.

AIM against gambling in melas

The Awakening Indian Movement (AIM) has sought the intervention of the deputy commissioner of East Khasi Hills district to ensure a blanket ban on gambling at melas being organized by different agencies.

Speaking to media persons, chairman of AIM Bansharai Marbaniang said that many people from other part of the country come to Meghalaya to host various kinds of melas, however these melas have games that encourage gambling with money which is detrimental and have a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

Marbaniang alleged that melas throughout the country are being held in order to provide entertainment to all citizens where they can experience happiness especially for children, students, and youth but at present melas in Meghalaya are being held with gambling which have detrimental and a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

“During our visit to the mela held at the Parking Lot outside Polo Ground in Shillong, the mela hosted various gambling activities with money and young people and students in uniform participated in various gambling games” said Marbaniang.

Marbaniang said that AIM is not against organizing melas in the state, however it stands against the act of gambling that is being held at the venues hence the AIM sought the intervention into this matter.