Mumbai (The Hindu): The Opposition and ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena increased the pitch for their demands for loan waivers to farmers, disrupting proceedings and ensuring that no work could be transacted in the Legislative Assembly on the third consecutive day. The budget session began on Monday.

With the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) announcing holidays on March 14 and March 21 after a meeting on Friday, the number of days left for the House to function in this session has been further reduced.

As soon as the House assembled on Friday, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil raised the issue of the loan waivers for farmers. He was joiined by Shiv Sena and NCP legislators in the well. Invoking Rule 57, Mr. Vikhe-Patil said the proceedings should be stopped and note should be taken of the loan waiver issue. The House was adjourned for half-an-hour, and when it resumed, Speaker Haribhau Bagde called for Question Hour. Within a minute, the house was again adjourned till noon.

When the House re-assembled for the third time, Mr. Bagde asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat to apprise the Assembly of decisions taken in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting. Mr. Bapat tabled the report, which was later approved.

He informed the House that the BAC has decided to declare holidays on March 14 and March 21 on account of Panchayat Samiti elections and to the posts of zilla parishad presidents respectively. According to sources, several MLAs had demanded that these days be declared holidays as many members are expected to be in their respective constituencies for the selection process and may miss the proceedings if the house kept running.

Amid the ruckus, Mr. Bapat also moved a motion of thanks for Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao’s address to the joint session of the legislature on the first day of the budget session, which was passed. He said the government will chalk out plans on development and welfare policies in accordance with the assurances mentioned in the Governor’s address. As the cacophony continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till Wednesday.