Number of MLAs absent in Assam Assembly, 8 questions left out

Assam Assembly Thursday witnessed an embarrassing situation because of huge number of absentee MLAs with as many as eight questions had to be left out and quorum bell was rung thrice to invite members into the House.

Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami expressed his dissatisfaction over such a huge number of MLAs from all political parties absent during the ongoing Budget Session of the state Assembly.

During the Question Hour, eight questions were jumped because of absence of the members, who had asked those.

This included four from Congress and two each from ruling BJP and opposition AIUDF.

The Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia had also asked a question, but he was absent.

"What is the use (of the questions)? You give questions and then you are not present. It is not a good sign," Goswami said.

With one after another questions were jumped, the Speaker said it would be a record in the Assembly's history.

"Why are all absent today? There is no event or occasion also during the day!" Goswami said while expressing his displeasure.

Because of not taking up eight questions, the House reached to the 13th query of the day, which is a rare as usually it has never reached even the 10th question in a day during the last several years, said one of the Assembly officials.

After the end of the Question Hour, the Assembly continued its discussion over cut motion on various departmental grants.

While members were speaking during the discussion, the House fell short of quorum thrice within a span of around two hours.

Every time the bell was rung to ask the members present in the Assembly complex to attend the ongoing session.

In Assam Assembly, the quorum is one-sixth of total number of members of the House. The House has a strength of 126 members and the quorum is 21 MLAs.