59. What are the powers and duties of the Speaker of Assembly

The Speaker’s powers and duties include:

1. Maintaining order and decorum in the assembly.
2. Final interpreter of the Constitution, rules of procedure, and legislative precedents within the assembly.
3. Adjourning the assembly or suspending meetings in absence of quorum.
4. Not voting in the first instance but exercising a casting vote in case of a tie.
5. Allowing a ‘secret’ sitting of the House.
6. Deciding whether a bill is a Money Bill (decision is final).
7. Deciding disqualifications of members on grounds of defection.
8. Appointing chairmen of assembly committees and supervising functioning. He/she is chairman of Business Advisory Committee, Rules Committee, and General Purpose Committee.