Himachal Assembly winter session was marred by walkouts, protests

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 16

The five-day winter session of the Himachal Assembly that concluded here yesterday was marred by walkouts and disruptions by the Opposition and protests by various organisations. A ruling party MLA and an independent MLA, who is also supporting the BJP, put the government in a spot during the question hour.

Minister mocked BJP MLA for query on Shimla MC

• Hoshiar Singh, Independent MLA from Dehra, alleged a scam in the purchase of the road safety equipment installed in his constituency and favouritism in allotment of tenders.
• The Opposition thumped desks on the allegations of Hoshiar Singh, who is considered close to the Chief Minister, while the government was embarrassed.
• Minister for Town and Country Planning Suresh Bhardwaj mocked BJP MLA Ramesh Dhawala when the latter raised the issue of road-cleaning machines worth Rs6 crore purchased by the Shimla MC.

Members of the Swarn Morcha organised a big protest in Dharamsala on the first day of the winter session on December 10 for the constitution of a Swarn Ayog in the state for the welfare of upper castes. When all efforts to placate the protesters by top bureaucrats and ministers failed, the government issued a notification in the evening for the constitution of a Swarn Ayog. The police registered cases against morcha leader Rumit Thakur.

On the second day of the session on December 11, employees covered under the new pension scheme held a protest, forcing the government to constitute a committee to look into their demands, including the restoration of the old pension scheme.

The taxi operators union and people affected by the widening of a national highway also organised protests on the third day of session on December 13.

On the fourth day on December 14, Youth Congress activists organised a protest but they failed to muster support allegedly due to opposition from splinter groups in the Congress.

The Congress staged a walkout from the House during the question hour on the first three days and after the question hour on the fourth day. As the question hour was disrupted for three days, many important issues raised by Congress MLAs were not taken up a discussion.

The Opposition raised the issue of the absence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on December 13 and 14 from the House, who CM had gone to attend PM Narendra Modi’s functions in Varanasi.