Dharamshala — The Winter Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly will begin at Tapovan in Dharamshala on November 26 and continue till December 5. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania informed that a total of eight sittings have been scheduled, during which 744 questions submitted by legislators will be taken up.
The first day of the session will begin at 11:00 am with a tribute to martyrs, followed by condolence references for former MLA Babu Ram Gautam. November 28 and December 4 have been earmarked for non-official business.
Pathania said the House Secretariat has received 604 starred and 140 unstarred questions from members through the online system, all of which have been sent to the government according to procedure. Apart from these, lawmakers have also submitted 11 notices under Rule 62, four under Rule 63, seven under Rule 101, 16 under Rule 130 and one under Rule 324. These have also been forwarded to the government for action.
Lawmakers are expected to raise issues including central assistance for disaster relief, floods, school mergers, the impact of recent heavy rains and natural calamities, government measures for disaster management, construction and DPRs of roads and bridges, upgradation of health and educational institutions, filling of vacant posts, tourism challenges, horticulture concerns, drinking water supply, rising drug abuse among youth, increasing crime, and the state’s transportation system. Members will also highlight specific issues from their respective constituencies.
Giving an overview of the year’s legislative work, Pathania said that with eight sittings in the winter session, the House would complete 35 sittings this year—15 in the budget session and 12 in the monsoon session.
To ensure smooth functioning and avoid delays, a meeting of leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties has been scheduled for 10:15 am before the session begins. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Chief Whip and Chief Whip of the BJP Legislative Party will attend the meeting.
Pathania urged both sides to cooperate constructively so that the time of the House is utilised for meaningful discussions and decisions in the public interest.
