Three-day Manipur Assembly session from September 2; Congress objects to limited duration

The Manipur Assembly will hold a three-day sitting from September 2, with the Congress objecting to the limited duration of the session and saying it would not be adequate to discuss the issues confronting the State.

According to officials, the first sitting on September 2 will include obituary references, presentation of the Business Advisory Committee report, introduction of government Bills and other business, if any.

The second sitting on September 3 will include question hour and other business, officials said.

After a three-day gap, the Assembly will meet for its final sitting on September 7. The day will include question and answer sessions and consideration and passage of government Bills.

The Congress criticised the decision to restrict the session to three sitting days.

Keisham Meghachandra, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, said he had attended the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee and submitted a dissent note opposing the proposal.

“Such a limited duration is wholly inadequate to deliberate on the serious issues confronting Manipur and to ensure proper legislative scrutiny and accountability of the government,” Meghachandra said in a social media post.

He said the people of Manipur deserved a substantive Assembly session where their concerns could be discussed and important issues debated in detail.

“A democracy needs a functioning legislature — not a token session,” he said.

The session comes as Manipur continues to grapple with the fallout of the prolonged ethnic conflict in the State, with questions over relief, rehabilitation, security and restoration of normalcy remaining among the key issues before the government.