WB assembly passes resolution to ratify Constitution 126th

The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution ratifying the Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill, 2019 which seeks to extend the reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the state legistative assemblies by ten years. The resolution was passed by two-third majority and will now be sent to the Centre.

The Bill calls for continuation of the reservation of seats for SCs and STs till January 25, 2030 in the state assemblies. Initiating the discussion on the resolution, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said the Bill is timely and the government will always protect the rights of SCs, STs, OBCs, tribals and minorities.

Participating in the debate, Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan (Congress) referred to the government's allegation that some opposition MLAs are conspiring with the Raj Bhavan to hold up several bills tabled in the assembly, including the bill on extending the reservation for SCs and STs. "Cutting across party lines we should identify those involved in such an act. I urge the Hon'ble Speaker to call a special session to discuss the issue of some legislators allegedly conspiring with the Governor," he said.

CPI(M) MLA Ashok Bhattacharya said the ruling BJP at the Centre is against dalits and Christians and the TMC government in West Bengal is not doing much to address their plight. Bhattacharya said the previous Left Front government had provided land to 50 lakh farmers and a sizeable part of them were tribals.

Chatterjee, who is also the state higher education minister, in his reply said that in 34 years of LF rule nothing had been done to improve the conditions of the SCs, STs and tribals in the state. He said that 2.5 lakh persons have got contractual jobs during the TMC rule and many of them are from SC and ST communities and listed a number of projects the TMC government has undertaken for the "marginalised people".

The opposition should not to see everything through the "prism of negativism", Chatterjee said and disputed its claims that allocation for governments projects has been diverted for other use. Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay then adjouned the house sine die..