Dharamshala – The winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly is set to begin today at the Tapovan campus in Dharamshala and will continue till December 21. The four-day session is expected to witness heated debates, with the BJP preparing to take an aggressive stance against the Congress government. On the first day, the BJP plans to hold a public outrage rally at Zorawar Stadium and is likely to disrupt the proceedings of the Question Hour starting at 11 a.m.
The opposition has indicated that it will corner the government over its failure to implement poll guarantees and highlight the alleged shortcomings of the Congress government’s two-year tenure. In response, the ruling party is expected to counter these allegations by pointing to the Centre’s neglect of Himachal Pradesh.
Zero Hour and Assembly Agenda
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania, addressing a press conference on Wednesday, outlined the proceedings for the session. The winter session will begin with Zero Hour, scheduled between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. During this period, MLAs can raise any issue concerning the state by submitting the information to the Assembly Secretariat at least one hour before the session begins. Each MLA can raise a maximum of two issues, with the Speaker granting permission for their discussion. If the government or concerned minister chooses not to respond immediately, the issues will be forwarded to the relevant departments for answers.
A total of 248 starred questions and 68 unstarred questions will be addressed during the session. These include five questions under Rule 62, one under Rule 63, five under Rule 101, and three under Rule 130.
December 20 will be observed as Private Members’ Day, during which MLAs will present proposals approved by the Business Advisory Committee. On the remaining days, bills brought by the ruling party and opposition will be discussed.
The provision of Zero Hour, introduced during the monsoon session, has now been formalized with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Earlier, it was conducted informally due to the absence of rules.
Speaker on Uproar and Live Telecast
Regarding the uproar by BJP MLAs in the last session, Speaker Kuldeep Pathania stated that notices were sent to some BJP members, and their replies have been received. However, he clarified that such matters would be addressed within the Assembly.
On the possibility of live telecasting Assembly proceedings, Pathania said the sessions are currently available on YouTube. He added that live broadcasts could be considered if the Centre allocates funds for the initiative, similar to the arrangements for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
CM Sukhu to Miss Two Days
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will not attend the Assembly proceedings on December 20 and 21 as he is scheduled to participate in meetings of the Finance Ministers and GST Council in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
With both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP ready for a showdown, the session promises intense debates and confrontations over the government’s performance and Centre-state dynamics.
