Monsoon session of Bihar Legislature starts on quiet note

The opening day of the monsoon session of both the houses of Bihar Assembly ended shortly after paying tributes to some departed leaders today sans any tussle between ruling and opposition benches.

Though the six-day session is expected to be stormy with battle lines drawn between ruling JD(U) and opposition BJP as well as RJD over Bodh Gaya serial blasts and midday meal tragedy in which 23 children died, the day ended quietly in little over half-an-hour after paying condolences.

The monsoon session of both the Houses- Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council- is scheduled from July 26 to August 2.

As the House sat for the day in the Legislative Assembly, Speaker Udai Narayan Chaudhary read the names of legislators, who had passed away during the duration between the present and last session, and members stood in silence to pay tributes to them.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had been confined to his 1 Anne Marg residence for the past ten days due to fracture of the small toe of his left leg and who even did not visit Chhapra or PMCH after the midday meal tragedy due to this, came out for the first time to attend the Assembly.

He was still limping after disembarking from his official car.

The House paid tributes to Basudeo Singh, Kumud Ranjan Jha, Satyadeo Singh, Sukhdeo Yadav, Shakuntala Devi, Jainarayan Mehta, Brahmadeo Narayan Singh, Ramnandan Rai, Sitaram Singh Azad and Gauri Shankar Sardar by observing one minute silence.

Former BJP minister and now leader of Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav rose from his seat before the Speaker read names of departed leaders to say that it would have been better if the House also paid tributes to victims of mid-day meal in Chhapra, Uttarakhand tragedy, killing of six tribals in police firing in Bhabua and deaths in naxal attacks.

The Speaker said these would be taken later during the session.

Legislative Council, which is chaired by BJP leader Awdesh Narayan Singh, offered condolence over the Chhapra mid-day meal tragedy and those killed in Uttarakhand calamity.

The Upper House also offered tributes to Bollywood actor Pran, Gandhian Tripurari Sharan and famous Maithli painter Mahasundari Devi.