Himachal Pradesh Assembly session from February 16

The 11th session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha will commence on February 16 with the customary address of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. A notification to this effect was issued by the Raj Bhavan here today. However, the notification does not specify the duration of the session or the date on which Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will present the state Budget.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Pathania said the session would begin at 2 pm on February 16 with the Governor’s address, followed by obituary references to former members of the Assembly who have passed away recently. After the obituary proceedings, the House will take up legislative business during the course of the session, he added.

Earlier, the state government had proposed convening a one-day special session of the Vidhan Sabha on February 17 to exclusively discuss the state’s financial position, particularly in the wake of the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), a key source of central assistance for Himachal Pradesh.

However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed that the Governor had returned the file seeking approval for a special one-day session. As a result, the issue of RDG discontinuation and its implications on the state’s development and fiscal health will now be deliberated during the regular Budget session of the Assembly.

PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said the Budget session traditionally begins with the Governor’s address and holding a special discussion-focused sitting under such circumstances may have appeared procedurally inappropriate. “There were probably technical issues. Therefore, the discussion on the state’s financial condition will now be held during the routine session,” he said.