14-day Budget session begins today
SHILLONG: The 14-day Budget session will begin on Friday with the Opposition all set to corner the Congress-led MUA-II Government for its failure to address various issues confronting the state including the law and order situation especially in Garo Hills, delay in empowering traditional institutions due to the pending court cases, lack of clarity on dual post Bill and financial constraints, perennial traffic snarl, and influx among others.
However, the Opposition NPP ruled out moving any no- confidence motion against the government by stating that “though public sentiments indicate that they lost faith in the present government, the party does not intend move any no-confidence against the government as it will not serve any purpose and instead the party was prepared to expose the failure of the government through other means.
“There is growing frustration among the people as the government has failed on fronts which itself indicates lack of confidence of the people in the government “, NPP spokesperson James Sangma told a news conference on Thursday, on the eve of the session.
However, the NPP legislator said that moving no-confidence motion against the government will be a frivolous exercise. Besides the attack of the government by the Opposition parties, the worry for the government is that there is division within the ruling coalition over the manner in which the dual post Bill and the issue of empowerment of headmen was handled.
In this context, the KHADC CEM P N Syiem from the Congress may emerge as the critique of the government.
Earlier, the NPP spokesperson said that the delay in disbursing the salary of the staff of MCCL and GHADC will be raised in the session by the party.
According to James, a major cause of concern is the financial crunch which affected the state as a whole.
The state government should have exercised restrains in spending and priority should have been identified, James said.
The Opposition member said that law and order situation especially in Garo Hills and the issues related to strengthening of district councils will also be raised by the party.
NPP and UDP forms part of the Opposition forum ,Meghalaya People’s Front (MPF) but though HSPDP is also in the Opposition, the party has not joined MPF.
While UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said that the party legislators will raise the issue of poor financial health of the state besides the urban congestion including growing traffic snarl , the HSPDP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit said that he will raise a number of issues like growing influx in the state, long pending border dispute with Assam, lack of developmental schemes, road safety and problems being faced by teachers and students.
As per the calendar, out of the 14-day session, while nine days are allotted to government business, five days are for the private members.
On the first day of the session n Friday, the Governor V. Shanmuganathan will address the House for the first time after he assumed office.
The Chief Minister who also holds finance portfolio will present the Budget on March 14.