Thiruvananthapuram: The third session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly will begin on Monday, Speaker M B Rajesh said.
The 24-day session, dedicated to legislative business, will conclude on November 12.
While 19 days have been set aside for legislative business, the Assembly will take up unofficial listings on four days. Supplementary demands for grants will be discussed on the remaining day. As many as 45 ordinances, currently in force, have been listed for approval.
The session's schedule was drawn up after taking into consideration a point of order raised in the previous session, which said not enough time had been set aside for legislative business.
All proceedings of the House will be made paperless, as part of the Assembly's dream e-Assembly project, from November 1, Kerala Formation Day.
The Speaker said the entry to the Visitors' Gallery will be restricted. Several programmes in connection with India's 75th Independence anniversary, too, would be conducted during the session.
Elaborate programmes will be drawn up for the expansion of the Assembly museum and library as the number of Covid-19 cases decreases.
Major bills on agenda
•Kerala Employment Guarantee Workers' Welfare Fund Bill
•Kerala Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill
•Kerala Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill
•Kerala Municipality (Amendment) Bill
•Kerala Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill
•Kerala General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill
•Kerala Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill
•Amendments to laws governing universities
•Kerala Toddy Industry Development Board Bill
•Kerala Fish Auctioning, Marketing and Maintenance of Quality Bill
•Kerala Public Health Bill
•Kerala State Medical Practitioners’ Bill
•Kerala Minerals (Vesting of Rights) Bill
•Kerala Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Facilitation (Amendment) Bill
'Criticise, but not insult'
The Speaker criticised an anchor of Asianet News for making a derogatory statement about the Assembly. The Assembly can be criticised but it should not be insulted, he said, adding that the anchor had apologised since he might have realised the mistake, he told a news conference.
The Speaker was responding to a question regarding a television debate on the Assembly ruckus case.
Calling for factual reporting of Assembly proceedings, the Speaker referred to an earlier instance of misinterpretation of him accidentally omitting the name of an MLA from a list that was read out in the Assembly. The MLA's name was omitted while the list was photocopied, the Speaker said.
The parallel Assembly held by the Opposition was a method of protest. The Opposition has been cooperative, he added.
