The Puducherry Assembly will reconvene to meet on Wednesday, when it is expected to pass the crucial Appropriation Bill 2018, which has been cleared by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi with a condition that the three nominated MLAs be allowed to attend the House proceedings.
Puducherry Legislative Assembly (file photo)
Chennai:
A release from Secretary to the Assembly A Vincent Rayar said the House has been reconvened to meet at 9.30 am on Wednesday.
Although the release does not mention the agenda, official sources told PTI that the House was expected to adopt the Appropriation Bill, marking completion of the budget process.
It is to be seen whether the three MLAs would be allowed to attend the proceedings, which has become a bone of contention between the Congress government and the Centre.
The assembly was adjourned sine die on July 19 after a 13-day budget session with the government unable to introduce the Appropriation Bill, which authorises withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund to meet expenditure of various departments, for want of clearance from Bedi then.
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had then accused the Lt Governor of deliberately withholding approval for the bill.
However, Bedi cleared the bill on July 21 with a rider that the three nominated MLAs, whose appointment has been challenged by Congress leaders in Supreme Court, be allowed to attend the assembly proceedings as per an interim order of the apex court. The Congress government has opposed the appointment of the three BJP functionaries as MLAs by the Centre on the ground it was not consulted. Though Bedi had inducted them as MLAs on July 4 last year in the Raj Nivas, Assembly Speaker V Vaithilingam has refused to recognise them as legislators, saying they were not nominated by the competent authority.
After the House adjourned sine die without adopting the appropriation bill apprehension surfaced among government staff and pensioners on whether they would be able to get July salary and pension as usual on the last working day of the month.
However, salary and pension were disbursed on Tuesday after the Finance Department directed the Directorate of Accounts and Treasuries to admit pay and pension bills.
Bedi had conveyed on July 21 her nod to the Assembly for introducing and adopting the Appropriation Bill subject to the condition that the three nominated MLAs V Saminathan, KG Shankar and S Selva Ganapathy were permitted to attend and participate in the proceedings of the House.
Privilege issue given against Puducherry BJP president
Congress legislator Jayamurthy has given a privilege issue against BJP Puducherry Unit President V Saminathan who is one among the three nominated members to the territorial assembly. In a memorandum submitted to Speaker V Vaithilingam on Tuesday, Jayamurthy said Saminathan has given a statement before the media in a threatening tone that the Speaker and the government will have to face dire consequences if the nominated members were not allowed inside the Assembly.
As per the legislative assembly rules, this is a violation and one which lowered the dignity and decorum of the house. Hence, privilege issue must be initiated against Saminathan, he urged the Speaker.