Dharna venue outside assembly to be shifted: Speaker

With just a few days left for the commencement of Budget session of the Uttarakhand Assembly, Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal today directed the administration to shift the dharna venue outside Vidhan Bhawan somehwere else to avoid inconvenience to commuters.
Dharnas and demonstrations outside the state assembly premises when the House is in session often leads to prolonged traffic snarls.
The directive to shift the dharna venue was issued by Kunjwal at a meeting convened in his official chamber to review security arrangements in view of the Budget session of the state assembly which begins on March 14.
The District Magistrate (Dehradun) will identify the new venue for dharnas, Kunjwal told reporters.

Once the new venue is identified, sit-ins or protests will not be held outside the state assembly, he said.
The Speaker said the budget session will begin with the Governor's address on March 14.
The general budget for 2013-2014 will be tabled in the House on March 18, he said.