The Hindu : MLAs opt for cricket; session can wait

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2003

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Other States - Rajasthan

MLAs opt for cricket; session can wait

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR MARCH 10 .The Rajasthan Assembly was adjourned abruptly this afternoon apparently to facilitate the members to watch the cricket match between India and Sri Lanka. The adjournment came around 4.15 p.m. till 6 p.m. even as the House had difficulty in keeping the quorum required for continuing with the business in the 200-member strong Assembly.

The senior BJP member, Bhanwarlal Sharma, had got up to participate in the ongoing debate on the Budget speech when the Deputy Speaker, Devendra Singh, announced the adjournment. "With the permission of the members I would like to adjourn the House till 6 p.m.," he said. Mr.Singh observed that the India-Sri Lanka match was keeping most of the members away.

``The match is at a crucial stage. Sachin is going to make a century. Let the members go and see the match,'' Mr.Singh noted while the two dozen odd MLAs present looked pleased. They were found congratulating the Deputy Speaker soon after.

However, the dramatic adjournment looked a bit too unrealistic being done for the sake of watching cricket match. The sources in Treasury benches hinted that one reason for the adjournment could be to facilitate the arrival of the Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, who was away to Jodhpur the other day, in the House by the time the Finance Minister, Pradhyumna Singh, gave his reply.

When the House reassembled at 6, the CPI (M) MLA, Amra Ram, sought time to speak on the Budget which was denied by the Deputy Speaker. On this Mr.Ram pointed out that the House had two hours to spare for cricket but not even five minutes for a member to speak on a serious subject. "This is being done for cheap popularity,'' he charged as he walked out of the House in protest.

The debate resumed in the presence of Mr.Gehlot with the speech of Bhanwarlal Sharma. It was followed by the speech of G.C.Kataria, the Leader of the Opposition. Mr.Kataria, who blamed the Finance Minister for taking away the sanctity of the Budget demanded a white paper on the economy of the State's finances.

``Now you have started remembering `mandir' and `guashalas' as this is an election year,'' Mr.Kataria said, referring to the provisions made in the Budget for upkeep of temples and the sanction for `gaushalas'.

In his reply, Pradhyumna Singh refuted the charges of the BJP that the State was totally dependent on the Centre's assistance in fighting drought. "The State has put in its share too. The Centre as such has more resources while the States have their own limitations. They have all the liabilities as well,'' he argued.

Talking about the drought relief, Mr.Singh said when the present Government provided employment to 16 lakh people last year under drought, the BJP Government while in power never provided jobs to more than 7 lakhs in any year of severe drought. The State was not unwilling to acknowledge the Centre's contribution of wheat towards payment in drought relief jobs, he pointed out.

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MLAs opt for cricket; session can wait