Mukul hails withdrawal of no-confidence motion against Speaker

SHILLONG: Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma has hailed the decision of the NPP leader, James Sangma to withdraw the no confidence motion asking for removal of the Speaker of the Assembly.
“Good sense has prevailed. There are many productive discussions which can have healthy discussions with a positive outcome,” Sangma told reporters here on Friday after the first day of the winter session.
Maintaining that the proceedings of the House is available before the public domain, Sangma made a clarion call to effectively and productively utilise the three days time of the session for the larger good of the State.
“We are going to seek our mandate again before the people as respective political parties. We have reasons to tell people why we should have faith in the whole democratic system and have confidence in the leadership of the State. We have leaders from across the political spectrum and people are looking at each one of us. Everyone has the responsibility towards the State and towards the people of the State, he said.
When asked about the absence of MLAs in the session, Sangma said that there was a big recess of four days besides many members reached Shillong very late on Thursday night, adding MLAs were busy auditing in the respective constituencies as to the promises made and how far they had achieved.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister also defended the decision of the Government to declare December 28 and 29 as working days.
Sangma informed that number of departments including Finance department were working on holidays including Saturday and added that the decision was taken to complete the whole exercise for implementation of the new pay structure.
Stating that the declaring and swapping of holidays was based on the exigency, he said that the Government was, only in advance, informing everybody that this year, December 28 & 29 would not be declared as holidays with compensatory working days.
“We are only requesting everyone to optimally utilise time for work,” he said even as he added that the gigantic exercise of pay fixation requires the drawing and disposal officer to complete the exercise.
Sangma added that by the new year, most of the drawing and disposal officers will be busy with pre-election exercise including training and there would be dislocation of the exercise and Government by declaring December 28 and 29 is only optimally utilising the time.
When asked if the Government would consider of reverting back its decision by declaring the two days as holidays next year, he said that this year they had taken this decision to complete the whole exercise for implementation of the new pay structure.
“Since in the preceding years we have been generous so why can’t the Government be generous even in the future,” Chief Minister added.