Lawmakers disrupt House over Palamu
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi

Assembly Speaker CP Singh must have been caught in a Catch 22 situation wondering whether to snub or sympathise with legislators from his home pocket Palamu for taking the Government to task for ignoring drought-stricken Palamu in the annual Budget.

He snubbed them after Congress MLAs KN Tripathi (Daltonganj) and Chandrasekhar Dubey (Bishrampur) and others rushed to the well of the House and threatened to disrupt the proceedings.

As the session began on Tuesday, the Congress MLAs supported by their other Congress colleagues Ananth Pratap Dev and Sawna Lakra accused the Government for not making any budgetary provision to tackle drought in Palamu; one of the worst-affected division in Jharkhand.

The Speaker’s repeated call for calm went unheard forcing Singh to adjourn the House. An exasperated Singh denounced Tripathi and Dubey’s behaviour and cautioned them not to undermine his authority, lest they planned to hold the House to ransom.

Singh’s repeated assurance to take up the case of Palamu had no takers. “You cannot appropriate the right of rest of the MLAs by disturbing the House. Such bullying tactics will not work, mind you.”

The Speaker expressed his annoyance during an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the Session. “A few people disturbed the House and broke decorum. They entered the House casually pointing fingers at the office of the Speaker and threatened to disrupt the proceedings, which is not good. May good sense prevail upon them.”

Initially, he even refused to accept an adjournment motion brought by Tripathi and CPI (ML) MLA Vinod Singh, for a special debate on the Palamu issue.

The second Session too remained sorry affair though without any disruption. Both Treasury and Opposition demanded the Government take a final decision over the MLA Area Development Fund which is dormant from the past one year. As the House resumed the Session RJD MLA Sanjay Singh, Yogendra Saw and Dubey (Congress) and Bandhu Tirkey rushed to the well of the House and demanded the Government take a final decision on the matter.

From the last one year no amount has been released from the said fund leading the MLAs to secure any fund for the development of their respective constituency.

Intervening in the matter, the JVM MLA Pradeep Yadav said the Government should not keep the MLAs waiting. “Either you continue with it or take a decision to abolish it but do not delay. MLAs are facing the barbs of the people everyday,” he said.

Yadav was supported by BJP MLA Raghuwar Das and JD (U) MLA Sudha Chaudhary. Explaining the Government’s position, Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahato said that the matter will be taken up during the cabinet meeting scheduled on Tuesday evening.

Homour out dilemma in for Speaker

Opp theatrics reduce proceedings to farce

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI | Saturday, March 12, 2011

First brawl and din and then chaos and then restless souls rolling their sleeves ready to rush to the well and then disruption and adjournment, finally, have occupies more space of reporters’ note book than any meaningful debate if it fortunately allotted time to get off the ground.

This ongoing budget session will be remembered more for disruption than debate, when a final report, elegy is more appropriate, will be read and written the day the session will be laid to the rest: February 25.

The JVM heavyweight Samresh Singh, on Friday, displayed cat like agility and jumped upon the reporters table. The table turned podium for a pure political propaganda of Singh over Bipasa (Bijli, Pani, Sadak). As though it is election time and he is addressing his core constituents, Singh rattled his rivals sitting on other side of the tense battleline.

Not so many heaped plaudits upon Singh’s theatrics, even by some of those who form the Opposition. “He was an artist with the Jatra Party (a traditional drama troupe), the impact is so deep sheeted even today,” a Congress MLA lightly told.
Singh is among politicians of Jharkhand who does not mind even snubbing the Chair and rubbishing the rule of the House if he reasonably feels he has points to profess the way he likes.

Hurriedly alighted from the table; Singh was not allowed to stay for a long, probably, the table could have been able to sustain the weight of his rampage or he could not have been able to sustain his own weight. “I am raising a vital point you can not ignore this.” In short: shut-up you fool just listen me.

ON Thursday, another JVM MLA, Nizamuddin Ansari was in a near nudity show for his love for Bipasa. When he emerged outside of the House he was perfect photo opportunity for lensemen — he had tore his kurta out of grief and grudge against the state government for neglecting vital issues like electricity and water.
A couple of days back Congress-JVM Opposition ran a parallel show inside the House for nearly half an hour over corruption charges against state’s Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Singh. The Speaker CP Singh expelled five MLAs including Chandrasekhar Dubey, Pradeep Yadav, KN Tripathi, Sawna Lakra, Yogendra Saw for unruly show. Their expulsion was later revoked.

But by then, Speaker had come under some serious attacks from the Opposition for taking side of the government. “Speaker sarkar ke jeb me. Speaker rajniti karte hai,” are the daily chorus of Opposition.

If the reporters of the State Assembly would have properly maintained the proceeding records of the session, they would probably tell you as to how many times Speaker rammed into confrontation which is unofficially the job of treasury.

Sample this: “Sadan me aapko rajniti nahi chamkane denge, (I will not allow you to polish your politics in the House).” Kisi ki dadagiri nahi chalne denge yahan, (Will not allow anybody to bully the House).” Do chaar logno ne sadan ko Akhada bana diya hai nahi chalne denge (Some people have turned the house a wrestling ground).”
He said this even when the Opposition was genuinely right over certain issues. Intermittently, Speaker also makes call for calm invoking epithets from parliamentary lexicon to order the unruly House.

The Opposition has blamed him for running the House for the convenience of the government. “He is unable to forget that he is a BJP MLA. He has shown nothing to us to believe him impartial. He snubs Opposition her does not take us in confidence,” JVM legislative party leader Pradeep Yadav complains.

Humour is essential mien of Singh and it can fairly be said that he offered many lighter moment to the House when it badly required. But humour alone does not make a good Speaker.