Budget session of the Kerala assembly begins on June 19

Thiruvananthapuram, June 17 (UNI) The Fifth Session of the Twelith Kerala Legislative Assembly will begin here from June 19, Speaker K Radhakrishnan said today.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said the main agenda before the House would be discussion and voting on demands for grants in the budget for the year 2007-08, besides some important legislation.

Mr Radhakrishnan said two important Bills, Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-Forest Areas (Amendment) Bill and Kerala Monsoon Fisheries (Pelagic) Protection Act, were expected to be passed in the 25-day-long schedule, which would conclude on July 26.

Though 18 Ordinances would be introduced in the session, because of lack of time, only one would be discussed and passed, he said adding that 13 days would be spared for department-wide discussion on the budget.

Stating that the Assembly had met 51 days last year, the Speaker said it was expecting that more days would meet this year.

Mr Radhakrishnan also said that both the two Bills would take for discussion on the opening day itself, as the Fisheries Bill was intended to protect the traditional fishermen and allow them pelagic fishing, which was now banned by the Supreme Court with an order that no fishing boat fitted engine with above 10-HP would allow fishing during trawling ban.

The Ruling Front had to face sever attacks from the Opposition as they would use Chikungunya outbreak and the government failure, particularly the Health Minister, in taking effective measures to check the dreaded disease in the state.

They would also use Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's statement that no political parties would be evicted from the encroached lands as a weapon against the government, following the stiff opposition from the CPI, the second largest partner in the Front.

The ever-ending issue regarding admissions to professional colleges will also be an ammunition in the hands of the Opposition in the fifth session of the Assembly.

UNI