Controversy mars Bengal Assembly celebrations

Just a week before the West Bengal Assembly is to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee, controversies have engulfed the celebration plans.

According to state government, the West Bengal Assembly is in its its 75th year. But on the contrary the government’s own portal Banglar Mukh says, “Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, the then Governor of Bengal laid the foundation stone of the Assembly House on July 9, 1928”, which means the assembly building has completed more than 80 years of existence.

The 75th anniversary celebrations of state assembly is scheduled to take place on August 13 and 14. Now the contradicting government records, it seems, have threatened to mar the celebrations.

However, the history of legislature in Bengal is much older and is in its 160th year. It can be traced back to 1861, when a 12-member Legislative Council for Bengal Presidency was set-up as per Indian Councils Act of 1861. Later the council's strength was increased to 125 and was formally inaugurated by Duke of Connaught on 1February, 1921.

But that House was Legislative Council and the provision of setting up a Legislative Assembly was passed through Government of India Act in 1935. At present, the state Assembly has 294 elected members and one nominated member from Anglo Indian community.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar who was scheduled to inaugurate the celebration, has expressed her inability to attend it as Parliament will be in session. “Speaker Meera Kumar has earlier consented to attend the celebrations, but later changed her decision as Lok Sabha will be in session. However, we feel, she could have taken a short break of few hours to attended this,” a TMC MLA quipped on condition of anonymity, pointing his finger to deteriorating relations between TMC and Congress.

On the other hand, the state government has changed its criterion of felicitating MLAs. From now only those who have been elected 8 times for the assembly will be felicitated instead of earlier 5-times.

According to sources, the Trinamool government took the decision to avoid felicitating veteran CPM MLA Sushanta Ghosh who has been chargesheeted in Garbeta Skeleton case.

Earlier it was decided that the MLAs who have been elected for 5 times or more be honoured. The number of MLAs to be honoured was only 15. But, the name of Sushanta Ghosh was within this 15 which irked the Chief Minister. Finally Sushanta's name was removed from the list after change in criterion.