AAP seeks more sittings in Punjab Vidhan Sabha

The Aam Aadmi Party, the main opposition party in Punjab, today sought from the Punjab Assembly speaker to enhance the number of sittings in the House to enable members to raise their issues.
The party further said the increase in the number of sittings will help in lessening the chances of disorder in the House.
It also suggested a live telecast of the proceedings of the House like it was being done in both the Houses of Parliament and state legislatures of Delhi, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
These demands were submitted to Speaker Rana K P Singh here by the AAP MLAs, including Sukhpal Khaira who is also the leader of the opposition, Kanwar Sandhu, Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Pirmal Singh Khalsa and Kulwant Singh Pandori, a party release here said.

Khaira, in the letter, claimed that the number of sittings of the Punjab Assembly had been decreasing every year as a result of which, members get limited opportunity to express their views.
Khaira, MLA from Bholath, said that the number of sittings during the period of 1952 to 1977 were far greater than the number of sittings during current time.

"For instance, the number of sittings, held during the year 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 were 55, 37,44, 54,56,57 and 32, respectively," he said.
He further said former chief minister of Punjab Partap Singh Kairon used to reply the debate in the House for one or two hours. Thus, members could get little opportunity to create ruckus in the House.

The party demanded that the number of sittings should not be less than 40 in a financial year.
Khaira demanded that the discussions on issues like farmers' suicides, stubble burning, rising number of accidents, could be held in the House to seek suggestions of the members on these issues.
Notably, the upcoming three-day winter session of the Punjab Assembly will commence on November 27.