'Guj govt mulling to allow live telecast of House proceedings'

Against the backdrop of suspension of three Congress MLAs from the Gujarat Assembly for unruly behaviour, the state government today said it was mulling to allow live telecast of proceedings so that "people would know "what their representatives are doing" in House.

Speaking in the Assembly, deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the government would take a call on allowing live broadcast in the next session as the ongoing Budget session is nearing its end.

He said the matter would be discussed in the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly which has members of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress.

At present, an edited version of only Question Hour is being aired on television channels every evening during Assembly sessions.

 

During a discussion in the House, Congress chief whip Amit Chavda suggested that if the government allowed live telecast of proceedings, the members will be saved from spending time in giving bytes to news channels about important issues being discussed in the Assembly.

Responding to Chavda, Patel said the government was considering to allow live telecast so that the common people would know "what their representatives are doing in the House".

On March 14, two MLAs of the Congress were suspended for three years while one MLA was barred for one year after they came to blows with the BJP legislators.

"If live telecast is allowed, things will be more clear to the people. Live telecast will benefit us (BJP), as people will get to see our positive approach. But in your (Congress) case, people will see how you are seeking apology and urging us to forget that issue (of violence)," said Patel.

Unfazed by the deputy CM's barb, Chavda and other MLAs of the Congress insisted on live telecast and requested Patel to allow it from this session itself.

Amid chaos in the House, Patel said, "We will think about it (live telecast) in the next session. We will discuss it in the business advisory committee," the deputy CM said.