Monsoon session starts today, Oppn to demand withdrawal of Agnipath scheme

The short session will have a total of five sittings, from June 24 till June 30, during which several bills, first supplementary budget of this fiscal and other resolutions would be tabled.

The monsoon session of the bicameral Bihar legislature is set to start on Friday on a stormy note with the RJD-led opposition likely to push for a unanimous resolution to be passed from the assembly for withdrawal of the newly launched Agnipath scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the armed forces.

Police deployed at the Bihar Assembly ahead of the Monsoon session in Patna on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

The short session will have a total of five sittings, from June 24 till June 30, during which several bills, first supplementary budget of this fiscal and other resolutions would be tabled.

“We are going to strongly demand that the state assembly passes a unanimous resolution for withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme,” said senior RJD MLA Bhai Birendra.

State congress legislature party leader, Ajit Sharma, said his party too would press for withdrawal of the scheme. “On June 27, our party will raise the issue strongly. The central government has betrayed country’s youth by bringing the Agnipath scheme. The Centre has to withdraw it, like it did farm laws,” he said.

CPI-ML(Liberation) too intends to support the demand. “We will support RJD resolution for withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. Even the ruling JD(U) has expressed its reservations about the scheme,” said Kunal, state secretary, CPI-ML(Liberation).

He said his party MLAs would also demand withdrawal of cases lodged against agitators, especially students, who had hit the streets to oppose the scheme.

Among the new legislations likely to be introduced during the session will be a bill to make the rate of molasses more flexible so that there is adequate supply of the by-product from sugarcane in production of ethanol. “The rate of molasses is fixed at present. But with the impetus on ethanol production, there is need for higher supply of molasses and a legislation will be brought to revise the rates so that it is more affordable,” said a senior official in the government, seeking anonymity.

Besides, the first supplementary budget will be also placed during the session for demand of additional funds for various departments, officials said.