13th term ends on stormy note

The last day of Gujarat Assembly’s 13th term ended on a stormy note on Wednesday. It was also the final day of the Assembly’s two-day monsoon session. This term has been very significant in its own.

The term saw three chief ministers take charge in the state. Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the ruling BJP in House after the 2012 polls. In 2014, he was elected as the Prime Minister of India and bid adieu to the House in a special session held on May 21, 2014.

The party then chose Anandiben Patel as Modi’s successor, but she also tendered her resignation on July 31, 2016, after a rise in political protests against her, but cited age as her official reason. On August 8, 2016, Vijay Rupani succeeded Patel as Gujarat’s CM.

It is noteworthy that BJP national president Amit Shah also tendered his resignation on Wednesday as he has now been elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. He became nostalgic while giving his farewell speech to the House.

Meanwhile, Congress members raised a furore in the House on the issue of stone-pelting at Rahul Gandhi’s car and were ousted by the Speaker.

The proceedings

As many as four bills were passed through the House unopposed in absence of Congress MLAs on Wednesday. The proceedings of the House began with a discussion on the actions taken by the government for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in North Gujarat.

The motion was proposed by Congress MLA from Manavadar Jawahar Chavda. During the discussion, Congress MLA from Deesa Gova Rabari said that their leader Rahul Gandhi was attacked by BJP workers upon his visit to the flood-affected areas. He also blamed that BJP workers pelted stones at Gandhi’s car and ransacked it.

Countering this, senior minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said that Gandhi had breached protocol by not accepting security provided by the state government.

This incited Congress MLAs who started shouting ‘Shame Shame’ and did not stop despite Speaker Ramanlal Vora ordering them to. The Speaker then ordered sergeants to oust all Congress MLAs.

Ruling party hails BJP govt’s efforts

Gandhinagar: BJP MLA from Majura Harsh Sanghavi brought the motion to discuss the achievements of the state government by initiating the Narmada Irrigation Scheme and completing the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. BJP national president Amit Shah complimented the BJP government for optimising the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the form of the Narmada scheme. Shah and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel took a dig at Congress-ruled governments in the state for sitting idle on the project.

THE BILLS

• The government, through an amendment to the Cooperative Societies Act, would hand over power to societies to hold elections for governing body. The amendment will be made in Article 77 C of the Act, through which the government had earlier taken all powers from society.
   
• The bill on ALC Act amendment suggested that the organisation or individual who acquires land falling under the Act in rural areas shall make the same amount of agricultural land available to the government in a nearby area.
   
• The ULC Act amendment bill has extended the limit for payment of the amount to regularise residential encroachments on government lands in cities, after they found possession of these lands were from poor families and needed government support.
   
• The single-window system clearance bill suggests the mechanism of fast approval to upcoming industries for registration, license, permission and certification.