AAP stages walkout in Punjab Assembly

The main opposition party, AAP, staged a walkout in the Punjab Assembly after the Speaker did not allow a discussion on the Maur bomb blast in the House on Friday.

Seven people, including five children, were killed in the blast in Maur Mandi town of Bathinda district on January 31, 2017. The explosion took place near the poll campaign venue of Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi.

The issue was raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu, from the Maur seat, during the Zero Hour of the ongoing Budget session.

Kamalu accused the government of having failed to nab the culprits and give compensation to the victims' families.

When Speaker Rana K P Singh did not allow any discussion, all AAP MLAs stormed into the Well of the House and raised slogans against the Congress government.

Later, they staged a walkout.

Earlier, Akali MLA Bikram Singh Majithia accused the state government of not providing winter uniforms to students of government schools.

"It is an important issue. School students belonging to SC, BC and BPL families have not been provided the winter uniforms yet. It is insensitive on part of the state government which failed to arrange the uniforms. It happened even after the Centre released funds for the same," the Shiromani Akali Dal leader alleged.

A calling attention notice was moved by BJP MLA Som Parkash over non-payment of dues to farmers by Wahid Sandhar Sugars Limited in Phagwara.

Responding to the notice on behalf of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said the private sugar mill crushed sugarcane worth Rs 184.74 crore, out of which payment of Rs 149.31 crore had been made to growers.

He added that arrears of Rs 35.43 crore were still pending as on February 12 and the mill was likely to clear them by March.