Opposition parties in Assam are gearing up to corner the ruling BJP on a number of issues, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, National Register of Citizens and price rise during the winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly beginning on Thursday.
The session will begin with an oath-taking ceremony of four newly elected members of the House — Bijoy Malakar (Ratabari), Rajen Borthakur (Rangapara), Nandita Handique (Sonari) and Rafiqul Islam (Jania).
“We have lined up a number of issues like CAB, NRC, problems in the education department and increasing number of violence in the state,” said Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Oppositions in Assam Assembly. Congress Legislature Party met here to discuss and decide their course of action for the session.
The strength of the Congress in the House has come down by one to 24 after losing the Barpeta seat in the recent bypoll. On the other hand, the strength of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) had increased by one to 14.
Sources in the AIUDF said the party would also raise issues like CAB, NRC and failure of the BJP government to contain price rise of various commodities.
The session, which will continue till December 6, will have six working days. Six bills will be tabled. The bills which will be tabled are The Assam Appropriation (No IV) Bill 2019, Assam Contingency Fund (Augmentation of Corpus) Bill 2019, Assam Goods & Service Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Assam Taxation (on liquidation of arrear dues) (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Assam Women’s University (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and The Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Among these, the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2019,seeks to regulate import, export, transport or possession of molasses and define the term molasses for the purpose of the Assam Excise Act.
Security has been beefed up in and around the Assembly. City police has issued an order under Section 144 CrPC prohibiting assembly of over five persons, agitation, demonstration, procession and shouting slogans in the entire district, covering Dispur, Bhangagarh, Basistha, Hatigaon, Sonapur and Khetri police stations without prior permission.
Different organisations have also geared up to protest at Last Gate. Jyotikrndra Siksha Karmi Santha, one such organisation, said it would launch the protest on Thursday demanding that the government appoint its members as regular teachers.
