Uproar in Himachal assembly over pending dues of contractors, hemp legalisation
It started with BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raising concerns over the delay in payments to contractors within the state. He accused the government of concealing information. In response, chief minister (CM) Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said no contractor’s payments had been stopped.
The assembly witnessed a fiery session on Thursday as legislators sparred over “non-payment” of the dues of the contractors of Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti Department and public works department. The Opposition later staged a walkout from the House.
It started with BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raising concerns over the delay in payments to contractors within the state. He accused the government of concealing information. In response, chief minister (CM) Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said no contractor’s payments had been stopped.
Following the opposition’s dramatic exit from the House, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri criticised the BJP, deeming it “unparliamentary” to accuse the CM of providing false information.
The assembly also deliberated on the potential legalisation of hemp cultivation in Himachal. CM Sukhu disclosed that a committee, chaired by revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, had been established to explore this possibility. The committee had previously visited Uttarakhand and Rajasthan and was scheduled to tour four foreign countries in July, where hemp is utilised for industrial and medicinal purposes. However, the overseas visit was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. The CM assured that the committee would embark on its international tour soon, with revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi presenting the findings to the House for discussion. The outcome of these deliberations will determine the fate of hemp cultivation legalisation in the state.
In response to a query from the Leader of the Opposition, CM Sukhu revealed that hemp cultivation was currently underway in four districts of the state: Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla. Concerns were raised about the potential exacerbation of drug addiction due to the cultivation of hemp, with Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur highlighting alarming reactions on social media. CM Sukhu assured that any decision regarding the legalisation of hemp cultivation would only be made following a comprehensive discussion within the House.
Furthermore, the Assembly addressed the ongoing border dispute between Himachal Pradesh and Leh-Ladakh. Lahaul Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur expressed concerns about encroachments by Leh-Ladakh into Himachal Pradesh territory, specifically mentioning Shinkula and Sarchu areas. He urged the government to take this matter seriously.
In the absence of revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, education minister Rohit Thakur assured that the border dispute with Leh-Ladakh would be resolved promptly. A meeting would be convened, including local MLAs, to address this long-standing issue, which has been a recurrent topic of discussion.
The assembly also touched upon environmental concerns, with Ravi Thakur inquiring about the preparedness of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to combat global warming in Lahaul Spiti.
Agriculture minister Chandra Kumar provided an update on the damage caused by heavy rains in the Dehra region. He announced a review of the crop damage, with 18 hectares affected and an estimated loss of ₹9.46 lakh. The response came in reply to MLA Hoshiar Singh’s query.
