Winter Session of the Kerala Assembly to commence on Monday; Opposition likely to corner Government on a host of issues

The twelfth session of the thirteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly will commence on December 1, Monday. 

Kerala Legislative Assembly

Earlier, Speaker G. Karthikeyan, on Wednesday, had called a meeting of the leaders of all political parties represented in the Assembly to solicit their cooperation for the smooth conduct of the upcoming session of the House starting on December 1.

The 14-day-long winter session beginning on December 1 is likely to be a stormy affair with the CPI-M led LDF Opposition all set to take on the UDF Government on a host of issues, including the alleged bar licence bribery involving Finance Minister K M Mani. Pouncing on the issue, the LDF had demanded Mani's resignation and had warned the government that it would launch a series of agitations if he did not quit the post. CPI Legislature Party leader C Divakaran on Friday had said that Finance Minister K M Mani, who is under a cloud of suspicion following the revelation by Biju Ramesh, Bar Owners’ Association leader that Mani had accepted bribes, should keep away from attending the Assembly session.

The outbreak of avian flu leading to mass deaths of ducks, causing huge losses to farmers in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanmthitta districts would be another major topic of debate in the Assembly, which has been convened primarily to take up legislative business.

The long drawn-out students' agitation at the University of Calicut, which has virtually stalled the administration in the University is also likely to be raised on the floor of the House. CPI(M) politburo member and Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has been quoted in the media as making a statement to that effect.

The session is scheduled to devote 11 days for transacting legislative business, Speaker G. Karthekeyan said. As many as 18 ordinances issued by the government when the House was not in session has to be replaced. The same has been accorded top priority, and placed at the top of the list of the legislative business to be transacted. Earlier, CPI Legislature Party leader C Divakaran on Friday had criticized that what has been going on in the state is an ‘’ordinance raj". Some of these ordinances are anti-people and government was seeking the approval of the Assembly, Divakaran said.The CPI leader added that Rs 3000 crore worth additional taxes were imposed on the people by enhancing the fair value of land, stamp duty and registration fee.

The Bills to be introduced to replace the Ordinances issued by the Government when the House was not in session, include, inter alia, the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, the Kerala Maritime Board Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Land Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Tolls (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (Passenger Group Personal Accident Insurance, Improved Passenger Amenities, Employees' Social Security and Cess on Ticket) Ordinaance, 2014. 

The University Laws (Third Amendment) Bill and the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill are  the two Bills reported by the Subject Committee of the Assembly that is also scheduled to be taken up in the upcoming session.