Assam Assembly's winter session ends sine die

The five-day long Winter Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly ended sine die today after it passed some important Amendment Bills and witnessed noisy scenes, mainly over stopping of subsidised foodgrains to tea garden workers.
The Assembly passed the Assam Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) (Amendment) Bill 2014, tightening the law to safeguard interests of depositors in financial establishments like chit funds by not allowing any anticipatory bail to anyone committing an offence under this Act.
The House also passed The Assam Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill 2014, The Assam Entry Tax (Second Amendment) Bill 2014, The Assam Agricultural Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2014, The Assam Tax on Luxuries (Hotels, Lodging Houses and Hospitals) (Amendment) Bill 2014 and The Assam Taxation (Liquidation of Arrear Dues) (Amendment) Bill 2014.

The session, which started from December 15, witnessed noisy scenes over the Central government's decision to stop the subsidised foodgrains to tea garden workers.
While the Ministers and ruling party MLAs charged the BJP with discrimination against the Congress-ruled state, oppositions like AIUDF and AGP raised concerns about the situation.
Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi also warned the BJP MLAs of deteriorating law and order situation in tea garden areas.
"If distribution of subsidised rice is stopped and a law and order situation arises, who will be responsible? So instead of shouting here, please convey to your leadership in Delhi that if it is not resolved, bad days are coming," Gogoi had said to the BJP MLAs during the Question Hour yesterday.

The House ended its business this afternoon sine die after condemning the terrorist attack at a school in Peshawar of Pakistan and expressing condolence to the 148 dead people, including 132 children.