Haryana Assembly Speaker Conducts Final Security Review Ahead of Budget Session
In Chandigarh, ahead of the upcoming Haryana budget session scheduled to commence on February 20, Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan on Wednesday held a crucial final meeting at the Assembly Secretariat. The session focused on reviewing comprehensive security and protocol arrangements with senior officers from multiple agencies, ensuring a smooth and orderly legislative process.
Multi-Agency Coordination for Enhanced Security
During the meeting, Speaker Kalyan engaged with officials from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Haryana Police, Punjab Police, UT Police, and civil administration representatives from Haryana, Punjab, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. He directed that all arrangements be meticulously planned to prevent any inconvenience for members, visitors, or media personnel. Specific instructions included providing food, refreshments, and essential amenities for security staff on duty and minimizing multiple checks for journalists to facilitate coverage.
Emphasis was placed on maintaining strict discipline across all galleries, including the press gallery, with prohibitions on unnecessary movement or conversations. Additionally, Kalyan called for contingency plans in case the budget sessions of Haryana and Punjab assemblies overlap, highlighting the need for coordinated efforts. The issue of wild animals entering the assembly complex was also addressed, with police officials confirming that the wildlife department has been contacted to mitigate this concern.
Key Attendees and Preparatory Meetings
Prominent figures present at the meeting included Haryana Police Director General Ajay Singhal, ADGP CID Saurabh Singh, ADGP (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar, IG Security Pankaj Nain, CISF Deputy Commissioner Nitin Kumar, and SDM (Central) Naveen from UT Chandigarh, along with officials from the Haryana and Punjab assemblies. This gathering follows a prior meeting on Tuesday, where Speaker Kalyan met with Governor Prof Aseem Kumar Ghosh to discuss formalities for the governor's inaugural address on the first day of the session. Post-address, a group photograph of all members with the governor is planned at the Ceremonial Gate, with the UT administration tasked to facilitate this.
Preparations will continue on Thursday, with the Business Advisory Committee meeting in the morning and a session with committee chairpersons in the evening, underscoring the thorough approach to session logistics.
INLD MLAs File 11 Calling Attention Motions
In related developments, two Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLAs, Aditya Devi Lal Chautala and Arjun Chautala, have submitted 11 calling attention motions and 21 starred and unstarred questions for the budget session. These motions seek clarifications on pressing state issues, reflecting active legislative engagement.
- Alleged inaction on the Supreme Court's order regarding the SYL canal, a longstanding water dispute.
- Deteriorating law and order conditions across Haryana.
- Vacant teacher positions in government schools, impacting education quality.
- Rising incidents of drug abuse, a growing public health concern.
- Staff shortages in universities, affecting higher education infrastructure.
- Alleged overcharging of approximately Rs 72 lakh from HTET examinees, raising accountability questions.
- Issues with the old age honor pension scheme, affecting senior citizen welfare.
- Non-allotment of land for the Assembly building in Chandigarh, hindering administrative development.
- Alleged inaction in a Rs 1,500 crore Labour Ministry scam, calling for transparency.
- Shortage of vocational training teachers, impacting skill development initiatives.
- Irregularities in paddy and bajra procurement, affecting agricultural stakeholders.
These motions highlight critical areas requiring government attention during the budget session, setting the stage for robust debates and potential policy interventions.
