AAP for live telecast of budget session

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, led by leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema and Sunam MLA Aman Arora, on Friday urged Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh to allow live telecast of proceedings of the forthcoming budget session of the state assembly. The session is commencing from February 12.

In a written representation submitted to the speaker, Arora, who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana high court, contended that the live telecast of assembly proceedings be allowed on the lines of both houses of Parliament, as it would improve the functioning of elected representatives on the floor of the House.

Arora said he would not hesitate in moving the court again if permission to live telecast was denied by the speaker. The AAP delegation also included MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhawn, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, Kulwant Singh Pandori, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer.

AAP LEGISLATORS MOVE NGT AGAINST RIVER POLLUTION

In another development, AAP legislators filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking action against the Punjab government for its silence over pollution of river waters in the state.

The petition has been submitted by MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhwan (Kotkapura), Amarjit Singh Sandoa (Rupnagar) and Jai Kishan Rori (Garhshankar). Sandhwan said they had been flagging the issue for a long time, but nothing has been done.

He said a delegation of the party MLAs, accompanied by deputy leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Sarabjit Kaur Manuke and others, visited Harike Pattan headworks recently to take stock of the ground situation.