Himachal Speaker says no NHAI questions in Vidhan Sabha, dept off state limits

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Pathania on Friday said that no questions pertaining to works being undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will be taken up in the Vidhan Sabha as it does not fall under the purview of the state government.

It was during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha that the Speaker gave this ruling.

He said this after a request by Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh that questions pertaining to NHAI must not be taken up in the House that the Speaker took this decision.

"Since NHAI works are being undertaken in the territory of the state, some state agencies must have a say in these matters. We will take up the issue with the Central Government," he said.

Later, when NHAI road-related issues, including poor-road conditions and traffic jams, were raised by many MLAs during Zero Hour, the Speaker assured the House that he would shortly convene a meeting of the Director General of NHAI, the Director General of Police, and the Chief Secretary to address all issues concerning road construction projects by NHAI.

Many legislators, including Bhunvneshwar Gaur, Rakesh Jamwal, and Surinder Shourie, spoke during Zero Hour.

The PWD Minister said that even though NHAI does not come under the state government, his department was seeking details from NHAI officials to furnish information in the house.

He said problems were being faced on many NHAI works, such as continuous landslides on the Kiratpur-Manali road, and that at some places, even law and order problems had arisen. Vikramaditya was replying to a query by Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal during question hour on the status of the survey of the Rajol to Thanpuri four-lane road to be built by NHAI in Kangra.