Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passes 3 Bills amid pandemonium

Dehradun, June 8
Amidst sloganeering and pandemonium, the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill ( 2012) , the Uttarakhand Value Added Tax (Amendment)Bill, 2012, and the Land Reform Act Amendment Bill (2012) just before it adjourned sine die.
As soon as the House convened after the lunch session, the unrest over the Cabinet decision to give approval to four universities today spilled into the Uttarakhand Assembly as the House witnessed acrimonious scenes with the Leader of the Opposition, Ajay Bhatt, demanding discussion on the issue under rule 310 (adjournment motion), even as the financial matters were being discussed.
The Leader of the Opposition even appealed to the treasury benches to join the BJP in taking up the issue as it affected the future of a large number of students.
"We want the government to inform the House and discuss the issue of approving private status of four universities threadbare. The private universities should not be allowed to mushroom in the state. Few members from the treasury benches had expressed their apprehensions and I know they are with us on this issue. Who knows, the government may even bring an ordinance in the coming days, while keeping the House in the dark," said Ajay Bhatt, while urging the Speaker to suspend the financial matter and instead allow the adjournment.
But Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal did not relent; instead he pointed out the provisions laid down in the rule book (for conduct of House) that disallowed Cabinet decisions to be discussed on the the floor of the House.
"The Cabinet making is too secretive and cannot be taken up in the House, even as the House is already engaged in discussing financial matters," said Kunjwal.
Soon the Opposition benches stormed the well of the House and started raising slogans. At this juncture, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hriyadesh then got up to retable the Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill. Thereafter, all the three Bills were passed without any discussion on the last day of the budget session.

The Bills

• Uttarakhand Appropriation Bill ( 2012)
• Uttarakhand Value Added Tax (Amendment)Bill, 2012
• Land Reform Act Amendment Bill (2012)