Five year tenure as Speaker satisfying: Prem Singh

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Prem Singh today described his five year tenure as satisfying.

''I have always tried my best to work independently during my five year tenure as Assembly Speaker. Though some incidents in the House during this period have caused a feeling of bitterness, it has been a by and large satisfying tenure,''Ch Singh told reporters after the conclusion of the Monsoon session of the Assembly, its last before the forthcoming elections to the House.

The Speaker said he had always executed his duties without coercion whether in the matter of conducting the House or in respect of working of the House committees.

''All the House committees of the Assembly disposed of their work without any bias and presented reports. We exercised our constitutional powers with a sense of responsibility and followed the rights and duties entrusted to us by the constitution.

It is for this reason that the Delhi Legislative Assembly is considered as a model Assembly in the country,''the Speaker said.

Talking about the Monsoon session of the House, which concluded yesterday, he said significant business was transacted during the three-day session.

Passed during the session was the Delhi Degradable Plastic Bag (Manufacture, Sales and Usage and Garbage (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2008, providing for ban and sale of plastic bags in the state.

The Bill, which provides that no person shall manufacture, stock, distribute or sell plastic bags made of virgin or recycled, degradable or non-degradable plastic bags, which are less than 8X12" (20X30 cm) in size and with thickness less than 40 microns, was passed by voice vote in the state Assembly on September 11.

The Bill also provides that the plastic bag manufactured out of virgin plastic shall be of natural or white colour.

The House also passed Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University Bill, 2008 which provides for setting up of a University for Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, which would be non-affiliating and teaching University in Delhi.

The Assembly also passed the Delhi Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property), Bill, 2008 providing for containing violence against medical personnel and damage to property in medicare institutions.

The Bill provides for punishment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine upto Rs 10,000 or both for those indulging in violence against medical personnel and damage to property in medicare institutions.

During the session, short duration discussions were held on problems relating to unauthorised colonies and problems relating to inflation.

In all, 11 starred questions were asked and replied and 43 supplementary questions were asked by the members while 27 issues were raised under special mention.

UNI AR SK KN1750