Opposition BJP did not relent as it not turn out on tenth day of session today and gave call of boycott, moreover, member of assembly pointing towards empty benches in the house raised this issue and even targeted officers on its absence from the gallery.
As the house seat for day session today, no member of opposition was on their seat today. This shows that it turned down the appeal of treasury benches to rejoin the house.
Congress MLA Asha Kumari (INC-Banikhet) pointed out during the discussion on demands of forest department on the budgetary estimate that it was first time when opposition is not conducting its routine role in the house as they did not turned out even today.
She also said that officers gallery is also empty today which shows that even bureaucracy is equally reluctant to show its seriousness in very important business of the house.
She said that chief secretary and secretary finance were absent from the house while only one officer was attending the budgetary discussion. Our Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is one of the experienced CM’s in the country, he is out of house today due to some unavoidable reason but there are other cabinet members in the house who should maintain and give priority to the business of house.
Forest Minster Thakur Singh Bharmauri also pointed out that opposition remained fail to raise propeople issued in the house as they were not present in the house. He said that in order to make BJP prime ministerial candidate Narinder Modi’s rally successful, leader of opposition were out of house.
He also targeted the last BJP government to indulge in wrong decision of giving section of 118 wrongly which was now reviewed by the present government.
Earlier in the house during question hours, Mrs. Kumari and Maheshwar Singh also pointed out the vacancy of pump operators in various state run irrigation, drinking lift and gravity water schemes.
IPH Minister Vidya Stokes informed the house that there is shortage of staff in the IPH department as 480 posts of pump operators are laying vacant in the state. She said that department was trying to reduce the work load after appointing ‘Jal Rakshak’ on the honorarium amount of Rs. 1050. She assured that functional posts of pump operators are being filled to reduce the vacancy.
She accepted that 7837 cases of faulty pump house and burning of machines came forth as Rs. 3265.73 lakh and Rs. 1969.85 lakh were spent on repair and purchasing new machinery respectively.
Replying to supplementary of Asha Kumari to provide condensed training courses to untrained work charge employees, Mrs. Stokes said that department was giving training to untrained helpers, moreover, pump operators were not laying defunct due to vacancy of pump operators or mishandling by the untrained workers.
Ajay Mahajan (Nurpur) alleged that more than 50 percent posts were laying vacant under Phina Singh Medium Irrigation Project Division Sadan.
Maheshwar Singh said that during working seasons many pump houses would render out of order and farmers should not left helpless without supply of water for irrigation in peak season. He suggested that minister should provide additional pumps and equipments in advance to quickly maintain and repair the defunct machinery.
Since most of the questions were raised by the opposition, it was over within half an hour.
