HP assembly’s winter session likely to be stormy

Slated to begin on December 9 that will end on December 14

The six-day winter session of Himachal Pradesh assembly is likely be a stormy affair as the opposition Congress is set to corner the ruling state government over issues such as global investors’ meet, corruption, loans raised by government, unemployment and law and order.

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The Jai Ram Thakur-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would try to highlight its achievements in the last two years.

The session is slated to begin on December 9 that will end on December 14. The Congress will aggressively take up the matter of expenditure on global investors’ meet. The summit was held at Dharamshala on November 7-8.

The BJP regime has been highlighting it as its major achievement claiming to have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth ₹ 93,000 crore, while the Congress has termed it a ploy to sell Himachal’s land resources to outsiders.

The Congress has also been accusing the government of violating the norms while signing these agreements.

The leader of opposition in Himachal assembly, Mukesh Agnihotri, said the state government has failed on all fronts and there are so many issues which the Congress will raise in the assembly.

“The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will meet at Dharamshala on Sunday evening to chalk out the floor strategy,” Agnihotri said.

Apart from the investors’ meet, the Congress will also target the government over corruption.

It may raise the issue of a letter alleging corruption in the health department that had gone viral on social media.

Police have booked former BJP minister Ravinder Singh Ravi for his role in making the letter viral.

Besides, the opposition will turn up the heat on the government over the supply of substandard uniforms to schoolchildren, delay in distribution of laptops among meritorious students, unemployment, law and order, rising prices of essential commodities and cooking gas, poor conditions of roads, national highways, and stray cattle menace.

The Congress may also raise the issue of felicitation of the BJP organising secretary during the convocation of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) in violation of protocol.

Meanwhile, the BJP will also convene a meeting of its legislative party to formulate a strategy to counter the opposition charges on Sunday evening.

Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has repeatedly alleged that the opposition has no issue against his government so the Congress has been trying to rake up baseless issues to just remain in limelight.

QUESTIONS APLENTY

As per the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, total 396 questions have been filed by the legislators seeking government’s reply. 302 questions have been filed for oral reply and 94 for written.

The legislators have also given seven notices under Rule 130 for discussion on various issues.

December 12 will be a private-members day for which four notices have been submitted under Rule 101.

Most of the questions are related to roads, schools, health institutions and water-supply schemes. The government will also introduce several bills during the session, including the one to upgrade Palampur town from a municipal council to a corporation.

TIGHT SECURITY

The district police have put elaborate arrangements in place for security and traffic management during the assembly session.

750 security personnel will be deployed in the town.

Kangra superintendent of police (SP) Vimukt Ranjan said residents of villages surrounding the Vidhan Sabha complex in Tapovan will be provided passes so that don’t face any inconvenience during the session.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) will also run shuttle bus service between Dharamshala and Joravar stadium for the visitors.