By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh has stressed the need for doing away with certain rules of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly which do not allow the legislators to debate on relevant issues concerning the State.
He said that the Rules Committe of the Assembly should initiate steps in this regard.
The sitting MLA from West Shillong, Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said that the Assembly Speaker, Charles Pyngrope was theoretically right but practically wrong while giving his observations on the passage of the Meghalaya Private Universities (Regulation of Establishment and Maintenance of Standards) Act, 2012.
Reacting to the statement of the former speaker that members of the Assembly have the scope of protesting in the House when Government bills are taken up, the legislator said that the motion to suspend the rules that effectively bar discussions on the newly introduced bill is moved by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on behalf of the Government and the recent case was Lokayukta and Police Reform Bill.
The debate has cropped up in view of the CMJ University scam and the criticism over the State Government’s failure to monitor the functioning of private universities in the State.
As per rule, before passage of any bill, it should be circulated four days in advance for the members to have discussion on the matter.
However, there is a practice to move for suspension of rules for the Government to enable passage of important bills when there is no time left for discussion, the former Speaker stated.
According to Lyngdoh, no member of treasury will question the Parliamentary Affairs minister on the floor of the house and opposition does not have the number to disallow the motion for suspension.
It may be mentioned that the UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh while expressing concern over the ‘haste’ in passing several bills including the Private Universities Regulation Bill, without proper discussion in the Assembly besides decrying the Government’s action of suspension of the rules with relation to passage of important bills.
“Only rules committee can initiate the process as there is a need to completely do away with such provisions,” Lyngdoh added.
Earlier, former Speaker, when the Parliamentary Affairs Minister moved for suspension of rules before consideration and passing of important bills, any member can raise a point of order seeking discussion of the bills in the House and most of the members had failed to utilize the opportunity on several occasions.