Delhi assembly’s monsoon session from Tuesday set to be a stormy affair

Leader of opposition Vijender Gupta has moved an adjournment motion over the death of seven sanitation workers who died cleaning sewer lines within a month.

The four-day monsoon session of the Delhi assembly will begin on Tuesday during which the Arvind Kejriwal government is likely to reintroduce three bills returned by the Centre seeking a few changes.

The four-day monsoon session of the Delhi assembly will begin on Thursday. (Hindustan Times)

The session is expected to be stormy as the opposition plans to corner the government over a host of issues, including the government’s alleged “U-turn” on its promises to the people and “repression” of the opposition.

Leader of opposition Vijender Gupta has moved an adjournment motion over the death of seven sanitation workers who died cleaning sewer lines within a month.

“The AAP had promised to provide protective gears to all sanitation workers but nothing has been done. Three workers died while cleaning a Delhi Jal Board sewer line but the minister is trying to brush it under the carpet by ordering a probe,” Gupta said.

The opposition may raise the issue of constitution and functioning of house committees. A recent recommendation of the assembly’s petitions committee has been challenged by a top bureaucrat and the matter is sub-judice.

Gupta said the government was adopting “unconstitutional measures” and “repressing” the opposition and senior government officials.

“The government has been repressing the voice of the opposition and senior government officers. We will raise the issue of functioning of house committees. For the first time, the court had to intervene to look into the functioning of the house panel,” Gupta said.

Meanwhile, sources said the government was likely to reintroduce three bills during the session. The Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, 2015, The Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Amendment Bill, 2015 and NSIT Bill (amendment) were among the 14 bills passed by the House

These bills were passed by the house in different sessions over the past two years but the Centre sent them back seeking corrections.

“The suggested amendments have been done and the new draft was cleared by the Kejriwal Cabinet on Saturday,” an official said.

Sources said three legislators—two from AAP and one from BJP---are likely to bring in private members’ bill on Friday over issues ranging from the transfer of the Delhi Development Authority to the Delhi government to regularisation of contractual workers.