Jaipur, March 6 (IANS) Vasudev Devnani, Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, expressed strong displeasure after several MLAs who had submitted questions were found absent during Question Hour in the House.

The Speaker said it was inappropriate for legislators to remain absent after raising questions that are scheduled to be answered in the Assembly. He pointed out that a similar situation had occurred a day earlier as well, when three to four MLAs were missing despite their questions being listed.

The issue surfaced again on Friday when BJP MLA Jagat Singh’s question regarding the Chambal-Dholpur-Bharatpur Mega Drinking Water Project came up for discussion.

The Speaker repeatedly called out Jagat Singh’s name, but the legislator was not present in the House. Jagat Singh’s question related to the timeline for supplying drinking water to villages in Nadbai that are still deprived of an adequate water supply under the project.

Expressing concern, Devnani said legislators must ensure their presence in the House when their questions are taken up. He directed all MLAs to remain present in the Assembly whenever they raise issues during Question Hour or Zero Hour.

The Assembly session also witnessed a heated exchange between leaders.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition, Ramkesh Meena, questioned the current status of the previous government’s announcement to establish an Ambedkar Centre and a modern library. Responding to the query, Education Minister Madan Dilawar said that since there was no modern library project currently underway, there was no question of further progress. The remark triggered sharp criticism from the Opposition leader, who asked the minister to resign, accusing him of lacking knowledge and damaging the state’s education system.

Dilawar hit back, saying the opposition leader should “read properly beforehand”, clarifying that the proposal referred to a digital library, not a modern library — a clarification that further intensified the debate in the House.

Meanwhile, the Disturbed Areas Bill is scheduled to be passed in the Assembly later on Friday.

Under the proposed legislation, the state government will have the authority to declare riot-affected regions as disturbed areas. In such areas, the purchase, sale, or registration of property will not be allowed without prior approval from the District Collector or Additional District Magistrate.

The bill also contains provisions allowing the government to intervene if there are deliberate attempts to alter the demographic balance of a locality. In such cases, authorities may restrict property transactions in the notified area. Violations of these provisions could attract three to five years of imprisonment.

–IANS

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