The Congress wants the budget session of the state Assembly to go on for nearly two months, as opposed to the 23 days decided by the government. Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Tuesday said that 23 days were not enough to discuss all the pressing issues before the state. Therefore, the Congress in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting demanded that the session be held from March 9 to April 29.
The budget session of the legislature will start here from March 9 and the state budget will be tabled on March 18, parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat said. A meeting of the BAC of the legislature finalised the agenda of the session, the minister said.
Reacting to the BAC meeting finalising the agenda till April 13, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the session should be extended to discuss important issues as the agenda fixed is for a very short period.
“Currently there are many issues before the state. We must hold detailed discussion on issues like drought, farmers suicides, deteriorating law and order situation etc. Apart from this there will be a discussion on the state budget. The period of 23 days for discussing all these issues is not enough. Therefore, the session should be extended till April 29,” he said.
The Congress also held the meeting of its legislative co-ordination committee to chalk out its strategy for the budget session. Apart from Mr Vikhe-Patil, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Patangrao Kadam, Manikarao Thakre and other senior Congress leaders attended the meeting. In the meeting, the Congress passed a resolution condemning the attack on a policeman in Latur last Saturday. Police constable Shaikh Yunus Pashamiyan was beaten up for allegedly not allowing Sena-BJP workers to put up flags at communally sensitive areas as per the orders of his superiors.
“I have written a letter to the CM seeking strict action against those who attacked the policeman. The incident has created a question mark over the law and order situation in the state. A Congress delegation will visit Latur on Wednesday and also meet the policeman,” said Mr Vikhe-Patil.
