Himachal Pradesh: Snowfall delays House proceedings as members remain stuck

For the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh assembly, the proceedings of the House were postponed by half an hour as several members were stuck in their

For the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh assembly, the proceedings of the House were postponed by half an hour as several members were stuck in their hotels due to snowfall.

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The proceedings were postponed following a request made to speaker Rajeev Bindal by the leader of opposition, Mukesh Agnihotri.

The arrangement for the stay of opposition members of legislative assembly (MLAs) has been made at a hotel near Satobari village, around 5 kilometres from McLeodganj. The road to the hamlet was blocked after heavy snowfall on Friday evening when several members had to trek to the hotel, while others returned to Dharamshala and stayed there.

CM directs restoration of services affected due to snow

Meanwhile, chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur held a meeting with the officers of the state government and directed them to ensure that all essential services affected due to snowfall in the state were restored at the earliest.

On the occasion, the CM also directed the officers of the state electricity board to ensure restoration of power supply. “Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) authorities should also ensure that their services are restored at the earliest,” he said, adding that steps must be taken by the irrigation and public health department to restore the affected water supply schemes.

He added that adequate stock of pipes should be maintained by the department to replace damaged lines. “All deputy commissioners must issue advisory to tourists and general public to avoid trekking to higher reaches and to drive carefully on snow-covered roads,” he said.