New Delhi: The two-day session of the Delhi Assembly began today amid loud sloganeering between BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, prompting Speaker Ram Niwas Goel to adjourn the proceedings for 15 minutes. Chief Minister Atishi-headed new government is expected to seek a vote of trust in the House on Friday.
When the Speaker listed the names of leaders who will raise issues in the House, BJP leaders raised objection, demanding that their issues be also raised. BJP MLAs demanded that the pending CAG reports be tabled during the session.
Earlier on Wednesday, in a letter to Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Finance Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma, the LG Secretariat asked to lay pending CAG reports in the House after bringing the matter to the chief minister's attention.
This session will be special in many ways. Speculations are on whether Atishi, who earlier sat next to an empty chair meant for Arvind Kejriwal, will now occupy a different seat during the assembly session. The treasury benches are on the right side of the Speaker and the opposition has been allotted seats on the left side. When Kejriwal was the Chief Minister, he was allotted seat number one.
Since the House was adjourned after budget in March, it was necessary to call a session before October 8. Thus, this two-day session was called in a hurry as formality. As per the rules, if the session was not called before 8 October, a constitutional crisis could have risen. Thus, this session has been called immediately after Atishi became the CM and the cabinet was formed.
Ever since the assembly session was called, the BJP MLAs have been demanding that the duration be extended and a Question Hour be included so that the issues related to people of Delhi can be discussed. But till, now no decision has been taken on extending the duration of the session.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijender Gupta has also sought answers from the government on a host of issues including water problem, pension for poor, ration card and dilapidated roads of Delhi.
Congress too has demanded that the two-day session should focus on problems of the people. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devendra Yadav said that people-centric issues should be discussed during the session since no cabinet meeting was held in the last eight months as Kejriwal was in jail.
Congress has also demanded that Atishi should present 12 pending CAG reports in the Assembly to discuss the findings as per the instructions of the Lieutenant Governor.
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