ALA observes foundation day

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 7: If former Assam Assembly Speaker Pulakesh Baruah felt the necessity of improving the infrastructure in the Assam Assembly Library, Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mandal expressed concern over the increased intervention of the judiciary in legislation. The Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) celebrated its 80th foundation day at its conference hall today. The iugural speech of the celebration was delivered by Dilip Kumar Paul. Former ALA Speaker Pulakesh Baruah said: "The Assembly library needs to be improvised. The preservation system in the library is an outdated one. Many old Assembly proceedings have been lost."

Speaking on the occasion, Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mandal said: "The intervention into legislation from the judiciary in on the rise. This is a matter of concern."

Mandal further said: "The Speaker needs to be a neutral one. It, however, is a challenge since the Speaker himself makes it to the Assembly through a particular political party. A Speaker has to be a reasoble one as the people are very conscious now."

Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra th Goswami admitted the poor infrastructure of the Assembly Library in the State. "Improving the Assembly library infrastructure is among my priority list," he said.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi, Minister Keshab Mahanta and former MLA Hemen Das, among others, were present at the celebration. In accordance with provisions of the Government of India Act 1935, a bicameral legislature of Assam province came into existence in 1937. After the Government of India Act 1935 was passed, it paved the way for the formation of Assam Legislative Assembly, and became a bicameral legislature. The strength of the House was 108, where all the members were elected. The Legislative Council (Upper House) was not less than 21 and not more than 22 members. The first sitting of its lower house, the Assam Legislative Assembly, took place on April 7, 1937 in the Assembly Chamber at Shillong, the capital of the composite Assam. The partition of India in 1947 scripted a few significant developments in the anls of the State Assembly. The partition of India reduced the strength of the Assembly to 71 from 108 with the inclusion of Sylhet district in Pakistan. The reduction in the strength of the Assembly led to the abolition of the Assam Legislative Council (MLC or the Upper House) and the House became a unicameral one.

In the years that followed, Assam was truncated to several smaller states. And over the years, with the changing geographical boundaries and increase in population, the strength of members has changed from 108 in 1952-57 to 114 in 1967-72 (the third Assembly) and by 1972-78 (the fifth Assembly). It has strength of 126 members now. And now making the State Assembly a bicameral one is the popular demand in the State.