GUWAHATI, July 26 - The summer session of Assam Legislative Assembly today started on a noisy note with Opposition Congress and AIUDF members demanding adjournment of the House to discuss the current wave of floods in Assam. Legislators of both the parties staged a walkout when Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami denied the permission and insisted on raising the issue after Question Hour.
Twenty one minutes of the six-day-long session were lost in the din caused by the legislators of both the ruling and Opposition parties during Question Hour and again during Zero Hour.
The Opposition argued that considering the magnitude and urgency of the issue, floods should be discussed on a priority.
It needs mention that the current Assembly session was rescheduled from July 18 to July 26 on account of floods which had affected 32 out of 33 districts of the State.
As soon as the House started, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia placed the request to discuss floods, suspending other proceedings of the House. With Speaker citing the rule to hold detailed discussions after the Question Hour, members of Opposition trooped into the Well of the House with placards, shouting and expressing their displeasure. After six minutes of ruckus, Congress and AIUDF MLAs staged the walkout.
�The discussion on floods is of utmost necessity. The Opposition would get ample scope to discuss the issue after Question Hour.
Even during a meeting yesterday, they told me about bringing a cut motion over the issue. I hope they understand that the rules and proceedings to run the Assembly cannot be overlooked,� said the Speaker.
The issue once again cropped up after the Question Hour when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary called attention over the issue citing Rule 60 (1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Assam Legislative Assembly that makes it a Speaker�s discretion to fix the timing of such discussions.
