15-day Budget session begins today
SHILLONG: The budget session of the Assembly begins on Friday with the government ready to tackle the Opposition when it raises varied issues.
Governor of Assam and Meghalaya, Banwarilal Purohit, will address the House on the first day of the session.
Out of the 15 working days for the session, nine days have been allotted for government business and six days for private members’ business.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the budget on March 15. This will be the Congress-led MUA-II Government’s last full budget before the State goes to the polls sometime in February next year.
Sangma will reply to the budget discussion on March 20.
Unlike the past where there was threat of no-trust motion against both the chief minister and the speaker, the opposition has decided against moving any no-confidence motion.
The opposition is apparently weak due to divisions among themselves.
Sources said instead of taking on the Congress-led MUA-II Government, the principal opposition party, UDP, seems to be busy with KHADC affairs.
Opposition Leader Donkupar Roy did not respond when contacted to know the party’s strategy before the session.
UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh said the parliamentary party of UDP met recently to discuss the issues to be raised in the Assembly.
However, the Meghalaya People’s Front (MPF) comprising NPP and UDP has not met to finalise any strategy during the session.
The opposition HSPDP, which is not part of the MPF, will raise the issues related to uranium mining and convey its protest for the observation of December 25 as Good Governance Day.
Both UDP and NPP will raise issues concerning rise in crime against women and children and also power shortage in the State.
However, the winner this time appears to be the government since it is already prepared to tackle the opposition. Two rounds of meeting of CLP and MUA-II were held ahead of the budget session.
A Congress minister said the government is in a comfortable position since the opposition is weak.
In fact, the minister pointed out that even during the last session in September, it was the members of the ruling party, especially KHADC CEM PN Syiem, who had raised varied issuesin the House.