DEHRADUN: Political activity intensified ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly session, scheduled to begin on October 27 at Bhararisain in Gairsain, after Congress representatives stayed away from two key preparatory meetings on Saturday.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) questioned the decision to limit the session to two days, accusing the government of avoiding debate on public issues.
Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri chaired meetings of the Business Advisory Committee and an all-party forum at her official residence in Yamuna Colony. No Congress representative attended either meeting.
Khanduri said the meetings were part of established parliamentary practice and that members had been notified in writing and by telephone by the Assembly Secretariat.
"If members do not attend despite being informed, that is their decision; no one can be compelled," she said. Khanduri urged parties to uphold parliamentary traditions and the dignity of the House.
The Assembly, she said, was a place to raise public concerns and seek answers, not merely a platform for political statements. Legislators should bring constituency issues to the floor.
She urged members to ensure a peaceful and dignified session, saying Uttarakhand was watched across the country and abroad, and legislators must act responsibly.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal said the Business Advisory Committee had discussed the proposed agenda. The Chief Minister would present an interim budget on the first day. Essential government legislative business would also be taken up, he said. The second day was scheduled to include Question Hour, passage of the budget and further legislative work.
On Congress’s absence, Uniyal said he had spoken by phone with senior Congress leader Pritam Singh, who told him he was in the Tyuni area for previously scheduled political engagements.
Attempts to contact Congress leader Yashpal Arya had been unsuccessful, he said. "The government’s priority is to run the House with the Opposition’s participation," Uniyal said, urging all parties to cooperate.
Shahzad, who attended the meetings, said a two-day sitting would leave little time for serious discussion of public concerns. Much of the first day would be devoted to tributes, he said, leaving the second day as the only opportunity for legislators to raise local issues and question the government.
The Assembly has 70 members, Shahzad said, asking how they could address constituency concerns in a single day if many legislators sought to speak. He cited inflation, unemployment, migration, disasters and access to basic services as issues requiring detailed debate and answers from the government.
The BSP MLA accused the government of convening a brief session merely to fulfil a formality and avoid substantive scrutiny. “How can so little time be enough to demand answers on problems affecting people across the state?” he asked.