Agenda for the winter session yet to be decided: Assembly Speaker
The Statesman | 5 November 2024
The upcoming winter session in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is likely to start from 25 November.
There are several important issues which may be discussed. The brutal rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at R G Kar Hospital was going to be discussed.
While the official schedule of the session has not been finalised, sources suggested that the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) plans to bring a resolution condemning the central government for allegedly withholding funds meant for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the state.
“The Winter Session is likely to begin on 25 November, but the agenda is still being decided,” state Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay told The Statesman.
“This time the session will continue for eight to 10 days,” Mr Bandyopadhyay added.
According to Trinamul Congress sources, the government is likely to introduce a resolution criticizing the Centre for failing to release funds under PMAY, which in West Bengal operates as the Banglar Awas Yojana. The scheme aims to provide housing assistance to the rural poor.
Recently, protests have erupted across West Bengal over alleged exclusions of beneficiaries under the Banglar Awas Yojana.
The Mamata Banerjee government is currently conducting a field survey for around 11 lakh potential beneficiaries, who were initially approved to receive financial support for house construction.
Villagers have been protesting in several districts, including Purulia, Birbhum, West Midnapore and South 24-Parganas, particularly outside block development offices (BDOs) in the district.
Many of them alleged that local TMC leaders have deliberately deleted their names from the list of beneficiaries.
Under PMAY, beneficiaries in plain areas are eligible for a subsidy of Rs 1.2 lakh, while those in hilly or tribal regions receive Rs 1.3 lakh, distributed in two installments.
The first round of funding for these beneficiaries is expected to be released in December.
However, the state secretariat Nabanna claims that the state government is funding the Banglar Awas Yojana on its own, as the central government has allegedly stopped its contributions.
For the past 87 days since 9 August, the medics under the banner of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) have been organising protests, including cease-work in government medical colleges and hospitals and 17 day-long fast-unto-death at Esplanade from 5 October demanding justice for the incident at R G Kar Hospital, safety and security for doctors and other staff inside state-run hospitals and end of ‘threat culture’ in state healthcare facilities.