PORVORIM: Question Hour went to waste on Friday as the House was adjourned for over an hour following pandemonium over the postponement of a question pertaining to the coal block. The question, which had been postponed during the budget session in March, was scheduled to be taken up during the current session.
When speaker Rajesh Patnekar overruled objections raised by the opposition on Friday and called the next question, agitated legislators walked into the well of the House and refused to return to their seats, leading to an adjournment. As such, hardly any business was conducted during the first half of the last day of the monsoon session.
The question that became the source of controversy was first tabled in the House during the budget session even as the opposition had accused the government of non-transparency in the appointment of Nagpur-based a XYKno Capital Services Pvt Ltd as consultant to explore the Dongri Tal II coal block in Madhya Pradesh.
On Friday, when industries minister Vishwajit Rane sought to further postpone the question to the next session, the opposition vehemently objected. The postponement was allowed by Patnekar nonetheless, amid chaos and allegations by the opposition of a Rs 1,000-crore scam in the coal block matter.
The speaker said if the minister sought postponement because information could not be given in public interest, the question could very well be postponed. An irate opposition, however, demanded to know what aspect of the coal block matter pertained to public interest.
Citing procedural rule 49(2), GFP chief Vijai Sardesai said, “The question has to be replied on the day it was listed. If information is not available and the minister seeks time, the speaker may allow it to be postponed, but not beyond the sitting of the House.”
