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Bajwa raises concerns over calling Punjab assembly sessions on short notice
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa wrote to Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Wednesday, expressing his concern regarding the frequent convening of Vidhan Sabha sessions on short notice under the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime
Chandigarh : Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa wrote to Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Wednesday, expressing his concern regarding the frequent convening of Vidhan Sabha sessions on short notice under the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime.
In his letter, Bajwa, a legislator of the opposition Congress, wrote, “This practice, which has become a routine rather than an exception requiring its discreet use, also raises concerns about the executive’s avoidance of traditional oversight by the legislature.”
It had the potential to undermine the democratic process, he said. The state government has called a two-day session of the state assembly on October 20 and 21. Vidhan Sabha officials said the two-day sitting will be an extension of the budget session held in March this year.
Referring to the notice issued by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat on Tuesday, re-convening the session that was adjourned sine-die on June 20, the LoP said the notice has effectively erased the significance of the regularly held sessions like ‘Monsoon Session’ and ‘Winter Session’ from their collective memory.
“This deliberate omission raises questions about transparency and the preservation of the established norms of our legislative process,” he wrote. He said that this practice stifles opportunities for public issues to be addressed during essential parliamentary functions such as the question hour, zero hour, call attention, private members’ business, and legislative business.
