Rajasthan Assembly's Monsoon Session to begin on Sep 1; anti-conversion Bill likely on agenda

Jaipur, Aug 12 (IANS) The Monsoon Session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly will commence on September 1. Governor Haribhau Bagde has issued the notification to convene the session, after which the Assembly Secretariat has begun sending formal notices to all MLAs.

Speaker Vasudev Devnani has reviewed preparations for the session. Before the session opens, Speaker Devnani will hold an all-party meeting, said officials.

The session is expected to run for 7 to 10 days, with the final schedule to be decided in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting.

The Budget Session concluded on March 24, and under legislative rules, a session must be convened within six months— making this session necessary before the end of September.

The long-pending Anti-Conversion Bill, first introduced on February 3 during the Budget Session but left undiscussed, is likely to be passed. The Law Minister recently indicated the government’s intent to get it through. The Bill includes stringent provisions and penalties for forced religious conversions.

The Select Committee’s report on the Rajasthan Coaching Regulation Bill is also due and could be cleared this session, especially after the High Court’s criticism of delays.

In total, four Bills from the Budget Session remain pending, three of which are with the Select Committee: Rajasthan Coaching Centre Regulation Bill, Rajasthan Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill and Rajasthan Groundwater Authority Bill.

The Opposition Congress is set to corner the government on multiple issues, including law and order, disaster management, public transport, and the state of schools and hospitals.

The recent Jhalawar school accident tragedy in which a building collapse claimed the lives of 7 children of the school, is also expected to be a major flashpoint, with the state Education Minister Madan Dilawar likely to face tough questioning, as the Opposition has been demanding his resignation over the issue.

The Education Department had earlier submitted a proposal for repairing 8,000 schools, but only 2,000 were selected due to budget constraints. While Rs 80 crore was sanctioned last year, a proposal worth Rs 175 crore for the current year is still awaiting clearance.

--IANS

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