Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Parliamentary Affairs Prestone Tynsong today said that the autumn session of the Assembly can be extended by two to three hours every day in order to accommodate the issues that will be raised by members of the House.
He was replying to the amendment motion moved by VPP legislator Adelbert Nongrum in the Assembly today. Nongrum sought extension of the session by some more days as the duration proposed by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) for the session was too short.
“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. 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 than one day,” Tynsong said.
Tynsong also requested the opposition parties to sit together and decide the issues to be raised so that the questions or motions do not overlap.
“I have seen that be it questions, motions, zero hour notice etc, the issues are overlapping since for the same subject the members are submitting. So replying (to the same subject) will lead to unnecessary wastage of time,” he added.
Earlier while moving his motion, Adelbert Nongrum said that allocation of five working days is too short, especially when the government convenes the Assembly only twice a year.
“Giving only two days to Private Members’ Business is not enough, when there are so many pressing issues concerning the State,” he added.
According to Nongrum, there are many pressing issues concerning the State which include ranking of the State as per national index on poverty and education as the lowest in the entire country, drugs menace, concerns on the National Education Policy (NEP), youth unemployment, loopholes in methodology for State quota seats in MBBS, 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 Sweepers Colony and the 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 five days of House sittings? Why such an attempt to restrict the length of a session? What is the underlying agenda? A short assembly session is nothing less than murder of democracy,” Nongrum said.
The VPP MLA also sought for allocation of time for Private Members’ Business to 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 the House sitting concludes at 12 noon.
VPP president and Nongkrem MLA 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 increases so that we can dispose of the issues.”
Following the assurance to extend the time of the session by two to three hours, Nongrum agreed to withdraw the amendment motion.
