Legislators present in the House yet conspicuous by their absence during the proceedings may soon face action. For, the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh on Tuesday maintained that he would consider amending rules regarding initiating action against such “absentee” MLAs.

The assertion came after the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra pointed out that all the departments work day and night to prepare responses to the calling attention notices given by the MLAs, but when they are taken up for discussion, these legislators were not present in the House.

“We should amend the rules so that action could be taken against such MLAs who are present in the House but are still absent when their calling attention notices came up for discussion,” said Mohindra while pointing that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members listed three important issues for discussing on Monday.

“Those were such important issues of public interest. But that could not be discussed as the MLAs were staging a protest in the House,” said Mohindra.

Notably, a day before, three calling attention notices were moved by three AAP MLAs — Saravjit Kaur Manuke on non-issuance of cards under Bhai Kanahiya Health Scheme and improper implementation of the Chief Minister’s Cancer Relief Fund Scheme; Rupinder Kaur Rubi on plying of unfit and unauthorized school vans and buses; and Aman Arora on noise pollution due to loudspeakers.

Later, Aman Arora raised the issue of noise pollution due to loudspeakers during the zero hour saying that it could not be discussed on Monday as the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was absent. Correcting him, Mohindra said that it was not discussed as AAP MLAs were staging the protest, and not because of the Chief Minister’s absence.

Arora quipped that the protest was also held because of Chief Minister’s absence as the situation would not have been so if the Government’s stand was given on the DGP remarks on Kartarpur Corridor and allegations against Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

In another significant issue raised by Ferozepur City MLA Parminder Singh Pinky regarding involvement of SAD local leader Iqbal Singh Mallah in anti-national activities, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh assured that a thorough probe would be conducted and action would be taken as per law.

Demanding a time-bound inquiry, Pinky had alleged that AK 47, live cartridges, Pak currency, has been seized from Mallah against whom 25 FIRs have been registered. He also alleged that Mallah had links with a Khalistan Liberation Force member Harmeet Singh ‘Happy PhD’, who was killed recently in Pakistan.

Pinky also showed pictures of Mallah along with the SAD president Sukhbir Badal, while demanding that National Security Advisor (NSA) should be asked to look into it.

Sports Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi also informed the House that the shooting and archery contests, as a part of Birmingham Commonwealth Games-2022, will be held in Chandigarh — the state capital.

“It is a matter of great pride for us that the shooting and archery events, which were earlier excluded from the Commonwealth Games, will now be held in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games-2022 and competitions, under these two events, will be held in Chandigarh,” said Sodhi while thanking Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder, and National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh who attended series of meeting of Executive Board of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in London for the inclusion of these two events in the Commonwealth Games after which CGF took this decision.

Besides, all the MLAs present in the House also gave a round of applause to Bathinda lad Sunny Hindustani, who won the Indian Idol singing contest, after the Finance Minister and Bathinda urban MLA Manpreet Badal shared the information. Sodhi proposed that Sunny should be honoured by the Chief Minister, and he should be provided financial assistance, if possible.

AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan, raising the issue of Centre’s proposed move to do away with the MSP regime, demanded that the House should move a unanimous resolution against this decision. He also reminded that the Government had assured to hold a two-day session to hold discussion on this sensitive issue.

SAD MLA NK Sharma highlighted the issue of illegal mining going around the Chhatbir Zoo and levying of goonda tax because of which the water had entered the zoo premises in the previous monsoon.

“No shamlat (village common land) is left in my constituency where illegal mining is not taking place…it has no environment clearance also…and each trolley is being charged Rs 5000 goonda tax,” alleged Sharma adding that this was a “big threat to the zoo”.

Another AAP MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke brought into the Government’s notice the issue of travel agents duping Punjabi girls, and demanded stringent action against them besides checking the same trend.

SAD MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal urged the government to frame a policy so that the State’s sugarcane farmers get their dues on time besides encouraging the diversification. “Sugarcane farmers are agitating demanding their pending dues which amounts to Rs 180 crore. When they will be paid,” he asked.

SAD MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar raised the issue of de-addiction drug — buprenorphine and noloxone — of nine companies failing quality test alleging a multi-crore scam.

Alleging that five crore buprenorphine tablets, out of the total eight crore, were sold out of the system by the companies, Dr Sukhwinder demanded that the Government should take strict action against the defaulter companies, whose samples have been found ‘not of standard quality’.

NO MOVIES PROMOTING VIOLENCE, SEX, ALCOHOL IN PUNJAB: CAPT ASSURES HOUSE

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday categorically made it clear that he would not allow any movie seeking to promote gangsterism, alcoholism, sex and violence, in the State.

At the same time, the Chief Minister maintained that he would also write to the Censor Board in this regard, while underlining that checking the content of the movies is the Board’s responsibility.

Chief Minister’s response came on the issue raised by Congress MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli highlighting the two more movies, similar to “Shooter” recently banned by Punjab Government, is in the pipeline and the Government should ban those too.

Reiterating his firm commitment to ensuring a safe and secure social environment across the State, the Chief Minister said that nothing would be allowed to disturb Punjab’s hard-earned peace and communal harmony.

The State Government would write to the Censor Board also on such movies since the matter come under their purview, he added.

Notably, the Chief Minister had, earlier this month, ordered a ban on the movie ‘Shooter’, based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan.