SESSION REVIEW

FIRST SESSION (18-23rd DECEMBER 2003)

 

The Third Assembly was (deemed to be) constituted on the 5th December 2003 with the issuance of the Notification by the Election Commission regarding election of members to the 70 Members Delhi Assembly. As per the election results the ruling party viz., the Indian National Congress was returned to power with 2/3rd majority. Out of the total seats of 70, the Congress won 47 seats, the BJP 20, the NCP 1, the JD(S) 1 and Independent-1. Of these Shri Madan Lal Khurana, MP and former Chief Minister of Delhi, resigned from his seat on the 17th December 2003 even before assuming oath as the Member of the Assembly.

 

            On 18th December 2003, Ch. Prem Singh, the senior most member of the Assembly was administered the oath as Member by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor and also appointed as the Speaker (pro tem) in the Raj Niwas.

 

         The first sitting of the Third Assembly was held on the 18th December 2003. The sitting commenced at 2.00 PM with the National Song (Vande Mataram). The Members, thereafter, observed two minutes silence to mark the solemnity of the occasion.

 

OATH OR AFFIRMATION:

          Sixty-six Members made or subscribed to the Oath or Affirmation, signed the Roll of Members and took their seats in the House on the first day. The remaining two members took the oath on later sittings. The details of the languages in which the Members took their oath/affirmation as follows:-

OATH

Hindi

English

Urdu

Sanskrit

Punjabi

Bhojpuri

49

6

4

2

3

1

Affirmation

English

Hindi

1

3

 

ELECTION OF SPEAKER:

            The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor had fixed the 19th December 2003 as the day for the election of the Speaker. Four notices for Motion of election of Speaker were received from the ruling party and one notice was received from the opposition. All the five motions were moved in the House, as per the time of receipt. The motion of the Hon’ble Chief Minister in favour of Shri Ajay Maken, notice of which had been received and moved in the House first, was put to vote and adopted. After division was called, 46 members voted in favour and 19 against the motion. As per the assembly procedure the later motions were not put for vote. The Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition escorted Shri Ajay Maken, the new Speaker to the Chair.

 

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS:

The Session, being the first after the general elections, the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vijai Kapoor addressed the House on Monday, 22nd December 2003.   The Motion of Thanks was adopted on the 23rd December 2003. 16 members participated in the debate, which was replied to by the Chief Minister.

 

ELECTION OF DEPUTY SPEAKER:

The election of Deputy Speaker was held on the 23rd December 2003. Five notices for Motion of election of Deputy Speaker were received from the ruling party. The opposition members did not put up any candidate against the ruling party’s candidate Smt. Krishna Tirath. The   motions were moved in the House, as per the time of receipt. The motion of the Hon’ble Chief Minister in favour of Smt. Krishna Tirath, notice of which had been received and moved in the House first, was put to vote and adopted by voice vote unanimously. As per the assembly procedure the later motions were not put for vote.

 

OBITUARY REFERENCES:

The House made obituary references   on the passing away of the ex-members on the 22nd December 2003: -

1.      Shri Deep Chand Bandhu, Former Minister of Industries, Government of Delhi.

2.      Shri PN Singh, Former Member of the Second and Third Metropolitan Council.

     The House also observed two minutes silence as a mark of respect   towards the departed souls.

 

CALLING ATTENTION MOTION:

               One calling attention motion was moved on the 23rd December 2003, calling the attention of the Chief Minister towards the problems faced by the people of Delhi due to the confusion arising out of the implementation of Conditional Access System (CAS) for cable television in Delhi. The Chief Minister replied to the Motion and the subsequent clarificatory questions that were asked.

            The House was adjourned sine-die on the 23rd December 2003 with the rendering of the National Anthem.