Speaker forms 8-MLA panel, BJP not satisfied

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
The Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal, has constituted an eight-member all party committee to hold ground inspection of a report prepared by former Chief secretary N. Ravi Shankar in the wake of the response to an RTI application revealing alleged irregularities committed by departments during rescue and relief works in the aftermath of the 2013 natural disaster.
The team headed by vice chairman of the Uttarakhand Legislative assembly AP Maikhuri will not only carry out ground assessment but also suggest ways for increasing preparedness in the event of natural disasters so that the government is not caught off-guard. The committee has been given three months to present the report so that it can be tabled in the House.
The other members of the team are three BJP legislators Madan Kaushik, BS Chuphal, and Malchand, Congress MLAs Shaila Rani Rawat, Lalit Faraswan and Vijay Pal Sajwan, besides BSP legislator Haridas.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand BJP has criticised the government for sidestepping their demand for a CBI inquiry into the issue. “We have no faith in the government that has been engaged in covering up the biggest flood relief scam in the state. If the government is sincere enough, it should immediately accept our demand for a CBI probe,” said Teerath Singh Rawat, BJP chief.
However, for the time being the BJP leaders are saying that instead of registering their protest with the Speaker on the constitution of an all-party committee, the they will instead approach him with a request to prevail upon the government to recommend a CBI probe into the matter.
The BJP’s stance is bound to give a headache to the Congress-led government that does not want to engage the Opposition in a dual that could be counterproductive in view of the upcoming Legislative Assembly session in Gairsain in November.
 
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