Oppn at its aggressive best during Winter Session

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 15

The six-day winter session of Himachal assembly organized in Dharamsala this week remained a stormy as the Opposition Congress was at its aggressively best led by Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri. The Congress targeted the government on expenditure incurred during the investors meet, rising prices of essential commodities, illegal mining and rising crime against women during the first five days of the session.

The ruling BJP, most of the time, had to rely on BJP MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania to defend the party and lead charge against the Opposition. However, the ruling party avoided giving answers to many query like how many youth had been given employment in government sector, how many transfers had been affected in the last two years or expenditure incurred on the investors meet on plea that information was being collected.

But for some delegations very few people came to assembly complex to meet the ministers in the ruling party.

A dinner hosted by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for all MLAs, bureaucrats and media because famous for dance performance of Ramesh Dhawala, the BJP MLA and Natti (traditional dance) by many MLAs. A goof up also caused embarrassment to the government as a senior official put his name on invitation cards distributed for dinner party hosted by the Chief Minister. A minister was unhappy as invitation did not reach her husband,

On the first day of the session, the Congress walked out of the house terming the investors meet organized at Dharamsala as a scam. On this day, the Congress did not attend the house after staging a walkout just at the start of session during the question hour. The Congress had sought adjournment of the house and discussion on investors meets which was denied by the Speaker.

On the second day of the session the Congress leaders alleged that their resolution for debate on the investors meet had been changed. On this day, the BJP MLAs had come prepared for the Congress and all the ruling party MLAs were on their feet and started raising slogans against the opposition. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who generally remains cool and smiling, was seen in an aggressive posture as he warned the Leader of Opposition against such behaviour.

The Congress MLAs had brought with them onions and written banner that they displayed and protested in the well of house before walking out.

Despite aggressive posturing by the Opposition the Chief Minister resorted to diplomacy as he and Speaker Rajeev Bindal had lunch together with the Leader of Opposition and Congress MLAs.

The result was that the third day of Himachal assembly did not witness any walkout and business was conducted normally. However, on this day heated debate on the health sector was held under rule 130 of the Himachal assembly. The Congress MLAs targeted the government alleging that spurious drugs that were being manufactured in Himachal were being rejected in other states. Congress members alleged that in many cases patients had lost their lives due to supply of spurious drugs. The members also raised the issue of closed ayurvedic pharmacies of the state and purchase of medicines from a selected few.

Minister for Health Vipin Parmar and BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania defended the government maintaining that the government had recruited more doctors and provided better facilities as compared to the previous Congress government. They also maintained that medical equipment purchased by the previous government was installed and made operation by the present government.

The issue of illegal mining in Swan river dominated the session on the fourth day. The Congress targeted the Minister for Industries for failing to check illegal mining. The Congress walked out over the issue.

The fifth day of winter session was dominated with debate on increasing crime against women. The figures that about one rape was happening every day as per police records shocked members. The issue of Gudiya rape again came to the fore with the members demanding a fresh inquiry.

The last day of the session remained peaceful and CAG report was tabled that painted a grim picture of state finances.