
The Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Thomas A. Sangma, informed the House that North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum, had table a motion for extension of the current session, expressing concerns that it was too short.
The Speaker permitted Nongrum to elaborate on his concerns.
Addressing the Assembly, Nongrum highlighted that the Autumn session was still ongoing and called for an extension of the session’s duration to provide adequate time for discussion, particularly for issues raised by opposition MLAs. He also demanded an extension of the rules to allow for Zero Hour call attention, stressing that the current two-day deadline was insufficient for the opposition to fully address their concerns.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister incharge of Parliamentary Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, noted that the duration of the Autumn Session had remained the same as the previous year. He suggested that the debate could be extended by 2 or 3 hours if necessary, rather than prolonging the days of the entire session.
Nongthymmai MLA, Charles Pyngrope, added that any decision to postpone the session would require reconvening the Business Advisory Committee.
Ultimately, Speaker Thomas A. Sangma clarified that while the session’s time could be extended, the number of days could not be increased. Consequently, the House rejected Nongrum’s motion for an extension.