The bill was returned to the Assembly the next day for reconsideration. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)
THE MUCH-TALKED about Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Bill will again be taken up for voting in the state Assembly on March 27, Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit told the House on Tuesday. While the Bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly on December 21, 2017, it was rejected by the Legislative Council, where the BJP does not have a majority, on March 13. It was returned to the Assembly the next day for reconsideration.
The proposed legislation, on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), seeks to curb organised crime and deal strictly with those trying to foment terror or dislodge the government forcibly or through violent means.
The entire Opposition had opposed the Bill — both in Assembly and Council — alleging that it was biased and would specifically target members of the Opposition and the media. After being cleared by the Assembly in December 2017, where BJP has majority, the Bill was sent to the Council, which had first sent it to a select committee for scrutiny. The recommendations of the select committee were placed before the Council last week, and the Bill was rejected.
The day also saw the entire Opposition walked out of the Assembly during the Question Hour over the need to hike honorarium of Anganwadi workers.
Alleging that the government was not serious about the problems being faced by the workers, Congress’ Rae Bareli MLA, Aditi Singh, wanted to know about its plans to hike honorarium, as Anganwari workers were holding protests across the state. In reply, Basic Education Minister Anupama Jaiswal said the government had already set up a committee under the agriculture production commissioner and a meeting has been called over the issue. She would inform that House about the decisions taken at the meeting, she added.
Alleging that the government was not taking the matter seriously, Leader of Opposition and SP member Ram Govind Chaudhary said that Anganwari workers participate in the implementation of several government schemes at the grassroots level. “…The Opposition is of the view that Anganwari workers are the most troubled because of low honorarium and the government is not serious…,” he said while demanding that the honorarium be fixed at Rs 25,000 per month.
While Jaiswal tried to explain that the government is serious and has thus set up a committee, Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu alleged that the state has not considered their demands despite making promises in its ‘Lok Sankalpa Patra’ before the Assembly elections last year. Following this, he staged a walkout. He was soon followed by SP members after Chaudhary accused the government of being anti-poor and anti-labourer. BSP Leader Lalji Verma also staged a walkout with his members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna maintained that the government is sensitive towards the issue.