Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi asked most questions in Assembly: Report

Shimla, October 22

As per the report of analysis on MLAs’ performance, released by the Himachal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) here today, the Public Works Department (PWD), Jal Shakti Vibhag and health and family welfare were the thrust areas of concern as the maximum questions asked by legislators pertained to these departments.

The average number of questions asked was 334 by the CPM, 179 by Congress and 105 by the BJP. In total, 8,069 questions (starred and unstarred) were asked by 60 MLAs. As many as 54 bills were tabled and passed. There are 68 MLAs in Himachal Vidhan Sabha.

The report released is based on the information procured through the RTI pertaining to the performance of MLAs and the Legislative Assembly from January 2018 to August 2022.

The performance has been judged based on the number of questions asked by the MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha and Congress MLA from Kinnaur Jagat Singh Negi topped the chart with 482 questions followed by Congress MLA from Rohru Mohan Lal Brakta (368) and lone CPM MLA from Theog (334).

The maximum of 1,073 questions pertained to the Public Works Department (PWD), followed by Jal Shakti Vibhag (751), health and family welfare (699), higher education (508), multipurpose projects and power (422), revenue (338), transport (331), elementary education (307), forest (269), agriculture (253), Home Department (234), horticulture (234), rural development (212), urban development (207) and industries (204).

The lowest number of questions was asked by BJP MLA Rajeev Bindal (7) as he remained speaker of the HP Vidhan Sabha for two years till Mid January 2020 before becoming the BJP state president, followed by BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania (21). He was elevated as Cabinet minister in July 2020 and Congress Bhawani Singh Pathania (25) won the by-elections in October 2021.