IMPHAL, December 15: Demanding extension of the 3rd Session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly, leaders of seven opposition political parties of the state have called a press conference at the Irawat Bhavan.
The political parties include CPI (M), CPI, JD (S), JDU, MPP, Trinamool Congress and BJP.
The political party leaders have also announced that the parties will be organizing a two day discussion on election reform on January 15 and 16 which will be attended by several experts on the subject including former Chief Election Officer, JM Lyngdoh.
Lamenting the decision of the Congress government to restrict the 3rd sitting of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly to just two days CPI, Manipur State Council, Dr M Nara reiterated that the country’s Parliament has instructed that there should be atleast 55 days of sittings in a year.
He continued that the budget session should atleast have 30 days of sittings.
There have been instances under the present leader when evening sessions have been cancelled after only the morning session citing lack of agendas, he lamented.
It is unfortunate that the government has no agendas to discuss, even though the state is full of issues including the daily reports of killings, education, issues of the state territorial integrity.
He elaborated that at present the state is facing the Kuki state demand issue, the Naga issue, in such a junction, the government has declared that there is want of agendas to be discussed during the Assembly sittings.
Criticizing further, he said while the government should bring out all issues pertaining to the state during the Assembly session to discuss them, the present government has limited the Assembly session to just two sittings.
The general public also waits to listen to the proceeding of the Assembly session to hear about the steps taken up by the government regarding the issues of the state.
The first session also acts as a platform for the newly elected MLAs to understand themselves and learn the ropes of representing their people, he said.
Meanwhile, JDU president Tombi said the present government is there just for namesake.
Criticizing actions of the present government, he said, roads have been widened in several areas; however the widened spaces are used as parking lots by shops along the roads. He further demanded answers from the government on how it is allowed.
Citing that the government had ended preparations for the ASEAN car rally by just filling up pot holes along the NH 2 (Moreh-Imphal stretch), he continued that the government has no definite policy on road repairing other than just filling up of potholes.
If the road condition in Imphal West is to be considered, the only reasonable conclusion is that the government in cahoot with the contractors is siphoning off funds meant for the road repairing.
Just an inkling of a blockade along the highways leads to long queues in the petrol pumps, he said.
Further demanding the government to extend the session, he questioned the government why it is limiting the session to just two days.
CPI (M) state secretary Sarat Salam pointed out that there are several big issues at present including the Kuki state demand and the Naga issue.
He said the government could discuss the two issues for atleast a week and added the Ibobi led government has failed on all fronts.