The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly’s monsoon session will have 12 consecutive sittings – the longest in the 14th Assembly since the 9th Assembly in view of the recent large-scale monsoon disaster, speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said on Tuesday.
Addressing the media after a high-level security review meeting, Pathania said the monsoon session beginning on August 18 and ending September 2, aims to allow deeper deliberations on balancing infrastructure development with ecological safety in the wake of widespread rain-induced destruction across the state.
The speaker said that such a long session has occurred only twice before in 1962 and 2009. “This will be the third time in Himachal’s legislative history that the monsoon session has 12 sittings,” he said.
The speaker stressed that the monsoon caused nearly ₹2,000 crore in losses and impacted every district through heavy rain, landslides, and cloudbursts requires a rethinking of the development approach. “Roads, schools, and infrastructure must be built with safety in mind. The carrying capacity of hills should guide planning. If geology doesn’t permit, policies must reflect that. This is a serious matter needing bipartisan consensus,” he said.
A total of 762 Questions received so far
{{/usCountry}}A total of 762 Questions received so far
{{/usCountry}}According to the assembly Secretariat, 635 starred and 127 unstarred questions have been submitted by legislators, with more expected before August 18. Questions postponed from previous sessions will also be taken up.
“This year, we aim to complete 35 sittings in one year, setting an example for other state assemblies,” he said.
He added that an all-party meeting would be held on August 18 at 12 noon before the session begins, while a media interaction is scheduled for August 14.