AAP wants budget session of Punjab Assembly extended

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party, the main opposition in Punjab, today urged the Assembly Speaker, Rana K P Singh, to extend the forthcoming budget session. In a letter, AAP leader Kanwar Sandhu sought at least 15 sittings during the session.

“As of now, since the session is slated till March 28, it is expected to have six or seven sittings only due to a holiday and the week-end between the duration of the session,” said Sandhu. The Budget Session is slated to start from March 20 and will continue till March 28.

The Kharar MLA pointed out that usually the budget session in Punjab has between nine and 15 sittings. “Instead of having a longer session, the one which has been called falls woefully short of even the earlier sessions,” he said, adding that the Leader of Opposition, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, also demanded that the Session be extended to the second week of April.

Sandhu said that clearly the duration of the session has been dictated by the government’s listing of business. “As the Speaker of the august house, you are its custodian and the duration of the session is your and not the government’s prerogative. The government could give you a list of business that it seeks to bring forward. As Speaker, you could ask each of the opposition parties for their list of the business before taking the final call on the number of sittings the House would have,” he wrote.

The AAP MLA said that Punjab was today facing a “severe crisis” forcing the people to head for foreign countries. “Future generations would not forgive us for neglecting the vital issues plaguing the state. These can be addressed only through discussion and debate and not by pushing them under the carpet,” Sandhu said.

On behalf of the AAP, Kanwar Sandhu listed out 11 issues in its “business of the party” which included the state of Punjab’s finances, the Congress party’s manifesto, farm debt and joblessness. He said the party wants discussion in the budget session on these issues.