Are MLAs At All Concerned About Their Duties During Assembly Sessions?

GUWAHATI: Are the elected representatives at all concerned about their duties, especially during Assembly sessions? The poser assumes significance what with most of the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) failing to utilize even the prescribed quotas for raising questions on the floor of the House. This is notwithstanding the fact that crores of rupees are spent for carrying out each session. The money is used for security arrangements and other heads during the days of the Assembly.

The recently concluded Budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly was held for 14 days from January 28 to February 26. As per the Assembly Rules, 70 questions on various issues were allowed to be raised daily during the 12 days of the House earmarked for discussion of various burning issues. Of this quota of questions, 20 were to be ‘starred’ (or orally posed) while 50 were to be ‘unstarred’ or (asked in the written format).

In other words, during those 12 days, there was a scope for putting up altogether 840 questions. Of this, 240 were to be starred while 600 were to be unstarred. But the fact remains that a quota of 172 questions remained ‘vacant’ (unused) of the prescribed limit.

Only 668 questions were asked during those 12 days. Of them, 232 were starred questions while 436 were unstarred. Hence, scope of eight questions in the starred category remained vacant whereas scope of as many as 164 unstarred questions remained vacant during the entire session period.

Except on three days namely February 5, 18, and 21; the unstarred quota remained much below the limit. The unfulfilled ‘unstarred’ quotas were: January 30 (just 21 questions were put up of the prescribed 50); February 1 (only 10); February 4 (only 35); February 6 (only 36); February 8 (only 26); February 20 (only 43); February 22 (only 30); and February 25 (only 34). On the other hand on February 1, only 13 of the prescribed 20 starred questions were put up on the floor of the House. Similarly, the quota of starred questions remained unfulfilled on February 18 with just 19 questions put up for discussion. But the discussion hour was disallowed.

Against this backdrop, it hardly needs emphasis that had the quotas of the questions utilized, quite a number of varied issues affecting the various LACs and the State as a whole could have been discussed in the State Assembly – the right democratic forum for discussions.

Also Read: Top Headlines