Shimla: The Budget Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly will begin on February 16 with the Governor’s address at 2:00 PM, following an official notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat on Saturday.
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that the notification for the eleventh session of the Fourteenth Legislative Assembly was issued after receiving the Governor’s recommendation. He said the session will commence with the Governor’s address, after which condolence motions and other legislative business will be taken up.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government has accepted the Governor’s suggestion regarding the special session of the Assembly. He said there will now be no separate special session, and the Budget Session will be held directly.
The Chief Minister said that the issue of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) will be discussed during the Budget Session. He said the people of Himachal Pradesh should be informed about the financial support provided by the Central Government to the state. He added that while the state’s share in central taxes increases every year, the special grant in the form of RDG, which Himachal Pradesh had been receiving for the past 72 years, has been discontinued.
CM Sukhu said the discontinuation of the RDG has added financial pressure on the state and needs to be debated on the floor of the House. He appealed to BJP MLAs to cooperate and place their views during the session so that the matter can be raised collectively.
The Chief Minister also criticised the BJP for spreading misinformation on social media regarding the Assembly session and the state’s financial issues, saying such attempts mislead the public.
