Kolkata, Jan 21 (IANS) West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday met legislative party leaders of the Congress, CPI-M and CPI to discuss the pendency of two bills, one to prevent lynching and another related to a state commission for scheduled castes and tribes.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Abdul Mannan, and leaders of CPI-M and CPI legislature parties Sujan Chakraborty and Ashok Dinda, respectively, attended the Raj Bhavan meeting, which lasted for 100 minutes.
Describing the meeting as ‘fruitful’, the Governor said that discussion on The West Bengal State Commission for Scheduled Castes/Tribes Bill, 2019, was completed.
However, the deliberations as regards to The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019, remained inconclusive and would resume after January 26. A date for further discussion on this matter will be announced shortly, a Raj Bhavan press release said.
Dhankhar had decided to hold the meeting following the contention of opposition parties that The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019, circulated in the House was “not in consonance” with the one he had recommended for introduction in the state Assembly.
Dhankhar had stalled The West Bengal State Commission for Scheduled Castes/Tribes Bill, 2019, arguing that the field (of the Bill) has been occupied by National Commission for Scheduled Caste and National Commission for Schedule Tribe.
The Governor had earlier scheduled a meeting on January 17 with regard to the pendency of the two bills.
“One of the would be participants of the meeting was the leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislative Party and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. The Chief Minister’s Office informed the Governor’s office that on account of pre-occupation, Banerjee wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting on 17.1.2020.
“The Governor urged Banerjee to give priority to this matter and spare time at the earliest and the same may be communicated,” the release said.
The Raj Bhavan said that Mannan and Chakraborty had requested for a meeting on Tuesday.
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Rohit Sharma and RSP leader Biswanath Chowdhury could not attend the meeting due to illness. BJP legislative party leader Manoj Tigga had to stay away following a personal bereavement.
–IANS
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