Joykishan proposes live telecast
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18 2016: MLA Kh Joykishan has submitted a written application to the Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker with a proposal to telecast live all major sittings of the State Assembly session which begins tomorrow.

Speaking to media persons at his Thangmeiband residence today, Joykishan said that as of now only the question hour which lasts for one hour at the most is telecast live.

He asserted that all the people should be allowed to know what transpire inside the Assembly by telecasting live all the key sittings of the budget session.

Live telecast of the Assembly session was introduced in the first session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly but the live telecast was cut short abruptly.

The Government may have its own achievements.

But people still have many grievances, he added.

"Let the people watch live their grievances raised by Opposition MLAs and the Government's response to them", Joykishan said.

Local cable networks would be willing to telecast the Assembly session in public interest free of cost.

He went on to assert that he would pay the charge for live telecast if they (local cable networks) are not willing to telecast the session live and the Government is not in a position to pay for the live telecast.

People should be allowed to see live what Opposition MLAs would say inside the House.

If the Government is not willing to telecast important sittings of the session live, then they are only exposing their insincerity and lack of transparency.

The budget session should not be treated as a secret or closed door meeting.

He then sought approval of the Speaker and the Chief Minister who is the leader of the House to his proposal.

On being enquired about the areas/issues where he would pay more attention, Joykishan said that he would focus on planning, development, Works Department, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department.

Whereas Planning Department has issued an order directing the authority concerned to sanction Rs one crore for each Assembly segment, the amount was cut down to Rs 50 lakh each for Thangmeiband and Thongju Assembly segments by Works Department, decried Joykishan while asking whether Works Department has the authority to overrule or manipulate an order issued by Planning Department.

Rs four crore has been incorporated in Works Department's supplementary budget 2015-16 for the home constituencies of the Chief Minister, the Works Minister and the Speaker which only implies preferential treatment of a few selected Assembly segments, Joykishan added.

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