Appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries: Himachal Pradesh High Court to hear plea on April 22 now

Legal Correspondent

Shimla April 2

The HP High Court today listed the petition challenging the appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) for further hearing on April 22.

The matter was listed before a division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Bipin Chander Negi today. While listing the matter for continuation, the court specifically observed: “List for hearing in continuation on April 22, with understanding that arguments shall be heard and concluded on day-to-day basis.”

BJP leader Satpal Singh Satti and 11 other BJP MLAs had filed a petition before the court alleging therein that no such post of CPS exists under the Constitution of India or under any statute or Act passed by Parliament.

It was further contended in the petition that the appointment to the posts of CPS is a burden on the state exchequer. The 91st Constitutional amendment capped the number of ministerial berths to 15% of the House strength and as per this, there could be 12 ministers in the state in consonance of the constitutional amendment as the strength of the Assembly is 68 in the state.

It was further alleged in the petition that the appointments of six CPSs is contrary to the Constitution of India. They have been appointed as the CPSs, who are de facto ministers without being called so and enjoy all powers and facilities of the ministers.

The petitioner contended in the petition on January 8, 2023, that the state government had appointed six CPS — Sanjay Awasthi from Arki, Sundar Singh from Kullu, Ram Kumar from Doon, Mohan Lal Barakta from Rohru, Ashish Butail from Palampur and Kishori Lal from Baijnath against the mandate of the Constitution of India.