A two-week long session of the Assembly begins on Monday, mainly for transacting legislative business.
The House will sit for 10 days during the fortnight, two days of which will be spent on discussion of the supplementary demands for grants for the current year and related Appropriation Bill. This will be the main opportunity for the House to discuss performance of the government.
The Opposition may disrupt the House over issues such as government decision to distribute ration subsidy through banks and issues over Central funding to Kudumbasree project. The government has already promised discussions over the ration subsidy issue, and so, a walkout could normally come only towards the end of the discussion. On the Kudumbasreee issue, the treasury benches find the stand of the Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh embarrassing.
The Opposition will be raising other issues such as the slow progress of infrastructure projects, price rise, corruption and illegal operations by sand mafia. It will be a stalemate between ruling and Opposition benches when it to comes to vigilance inquiry against Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, Aranmula airport project, and encroachment of government land.
Though Mr. Achuthanandan’s statement, that some quarters were conspiring to oust him as Leader of the Opposition, seemed to give some ammunition to the ruling front, he neutralised it on the eve of the session by stating that he did not mean anyone from his own party.
Divergent stand
The previous government could be faulted for acquiring and allotting large areas for industries and free economic zones that remain idle. However, the present government also faces blame for attempting similar action through Emerging Kerala projects. There is enough divergence of opinion over such issues within both fronts that all they can do at best is to embarrass each other.
Walkouts and boycotts could be over minor issues as in the previous sessions. The CPI (M) leaders will be busy with their party programmes during coming days. The CPI is peeved that this might affect Opposition performance in the House. In-depth discussions into issues, in any case, are unlikely to take place during the session.
On Monday, the House will make a reference to former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral who died recently. During the following days, the House will consider Bills to replace Ordinances and fresh legislation.
