UP Assembly's Monsoon session starts today; Sept 22 reserved for women members to speak

Image Credit: ANI; Representational Image

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly's brief monsoon session, which begins today, will be a unique one this time. It will have a day dedicated solely to women members of the assembly. "September 22 has been reserved for women members as per the agenda that the business advisory committee has approved for the house from September 19 to 23. Only the women members will be allowed to speak after the question hour on this day reserved for women," says Speaker Satish Mahana.

This is the first time such a practice has been implemented in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. Speaker Mahana recently assured a group of female MLAs that a day would be set aside for them during the monsoon session. Meanwhile, major opposition parties are preparing to grill the state government on the state of law and order, inflation, and other public-interest issues during the brief session.

The state assembly will adjourn for the day on Monday after mourning the death of BJP sitting member Arvind Giri of Lakhimpur Kheri's Gola Gokarannath assembly constituency. Giri passed away earlier this month. The state government also intends to conduct legislative business, such as deferring new bills and replacing bills for ordinances passed after the state assembly's budget session.

As the leaders of various political parties demanded that the Monsoon session be extended, Khanna reportedly told them that it would depend on how the opposition members behaved in the House. The state assembly premises have been renovated for the monsoon session, with new galleries and lobbies.

"Yes, we have given a new look to the galleries. Changes have also been made in the lobbies and the interior of the house," quotes Mahana. On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also inaugurate a three-day health camp for legislators on the premises of the state assembly. A team of six doctors has been assigned to the legislators' health camp, which will be open for three days. Space has been made available at the secretariat dispensary for medical examinations of female members.