CALCUTTA: There will be no question hour during the upcoming two-day session of the West Bengal Assembly due to “time constraints and the Covid-19 situation,” spokesman Biman Banerjee said on Friday.
The BJP has called it a “double standard” of the Trinamool Congress, which had previously described the decision not to have question time during the next session of Parliament as a “murder of democracy”.
However, other major opposition parties in the state, Congress and the CPM, said they will comment on the decision only after they are officially informed about it.
“We have decided that there will be no question time during the two-day monsoon session, scheduled to begin on September 9, due to time constraints and the Covid-19 situation.
“Having question time will mean lengthening the session during which the MLAs will have to stay for a longer period. We don’t want that during this pandemic situation,” Banerjee said.
Congressional Leader Abdul Mannan, also an opposition leader in the assembly, said he will comment only after he is officially informed about it.
The leader of the BJP Legislative Party, Manoj Tigga, said the decision reflects the “double standard of the TMC”.
“The TMC is demanding question time during the next session of Parliament, scheduled to take place from September 14 to October 1, but has decided not to include it in the assembly procedures in West Bengal. This is nothing more than a double party standard, “he said.
The speaker had previously announced that the monsoon session of the assembly will be held from 9 September in strict compliance with the ICMR guidelines and that all persons entering the premises during the period, including legislators, journalists and Chamber staff must submit to Covid-19. tests.
The seating arrangements for the MLAs have been made in accordance with social distancing rules and no visitors will be allowed inside the Chamber during the two-day session, he said.
The state government had last week sent a proposal to the speaker to convene the monsoon session from the first or second week of September, the sources said.
“According to the rules, there cannot be an interval of more than six months between two sessions of the assembly. The previous session was suspended sine die in March. Therefore, the next session will have to be held before September,” said one leader. high-level TMC. .
The 294-member West Bengal assembly was suspended sine die on March 17 when the budget session was shortened due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The BJP has called it a “double standard” of the Trinamool Congress, which had previously described the decision not to have question time during the next session of Parliament as a “murder of democracy”.
However, other major opposition parties in the state, Congress and the CPM, said they will comment on the decision only after they are officially informed about it.
“We have decided that there will be no question time during the two-day monsoon session, scheduled to begin on September 9, due to time constraints and the Covid-19 situation.
“Having question time will mean lengthening the session during which the MLAs will have to stay for a longer period. We don’t want that during this pandemic situation,” Banerjee said.
Congressional Leader Abdul Mannan, also an opposition leader in the assembly, said he will comment only after he is officially informed about it.
The leader of the BJP Legislative Party, Manoj Tigga, said the decision reflects the “double standard of the TMC”.
“The TMC is demanding question time during the next session of Parliament, scheduled to take place from September 14 to October 1, but has decided not to include it in the assembly procedures in West Bengal. This is nothing more than a double party standard, “he said.
The speaker had previously announced that the monsoon session of the assembly will be held from 9 September in strict compliance with the ICMR guidelines and that all persons entering the premises during the period, including legislators, journalists and Chamber staff must submit to Covid-19. tests.
The seating arrangements for the MLAs have been made in accordance with social distancing rules and no visitors will be allowed inside the Chamber during the two-day session, he said.
The state government had last week sent a proposal to the speaker to convene the monsoon session from the first or second week of September, the sources said.
“According to the rules, there cannot be an interval of more than six months between two sessions of the assembly. The previous session was suspended sine die in March. Therefore, the next session will have to be held before September,” said one leader. high-level TMC. .
The 294-member West Bengal assembly was suspended sine die on March 17 when the budget session was shortened due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
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