The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Friday threatened to hit the street on the issue of the roster system since the allocation of time for the private members’ business was too less during the ongoing Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s budget session.
The decision was taken after the party legislators were not happy with the conclusion of Speaker Thomas A Sangma to adjourn the House without considering a time extension despite allotting only two days for the private members’ business.
“If we are not allowed to participate in this august House, we are going to hit the street since this is a serious issue as it has affected this part of the region. This is anti-people and undemocratic done for the first time ever in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and it is an attempt on the part of the government to run away from its responsibility,” VPP chief and Nongkrem legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit told reporters after the session.
Basaiawmoit informed that he had submitted a motion on the urgent need to discuss and to request the state government to put on hold implementation of the roster system in the state ‘retrospectively’.
Stating that the government is fully aware of the motion tabled by him, the VPP chief said, “The MDA government has already instructed their MLAs to participate in a motion confined to one constituency only. This is a deliberate attempt on the part of the government. They want to run away from the responsibility but we will not allow”.
Expressing concern over the manner in which the Assembly session is being conducted, Basaiawmoit said over and above the allocation of time is too less and went on to term that this is the shortest budget session of the Assembly that they have experienced in the state.
“With only seven working days, the private members’ business is allotted only for two days and the way we are restricted in the timing to participate in the House also is too less. 10 minutes in the debate on the Governor’s Address. We are grown up enough and we have experience in the House. This is the first time that the Speaker of the House is not seeking suggestions from the opposition side to either extend or stick to the timing according to the calendar,” he stated.
He continued, “We are given 10 minutes. How do we express our suggestions and points in 10 minutes' time in a debate on the Governor’s Address and on the budget discussion? Then no need to call the Assembly at all if they don’t have any issues”.
He added, “As members of the opposition we have got lots of issues and people are looking up to us. This is too much on the part of the government and we will not sit idle, we will not allow this kind of tactic to be adopted in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.”
On VPP to consider moving a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, Basaiawmoit however said, “There is another way of protesting because we know that the people are eagerly waiting for us to take up this issue. It (roster system) has been badly affected, it has hugely impacted on the educated unemployed youth of this region so we want to raise it on this platform. We know this issue is very sensitive and as responsible leaders, we know how to raise this issue, which issue to touch and which issue not to touch.”
