Himachal Assembly session: Day 1 starts on stormy note, Sukhu, his deputy & other MLAs take oath

Before oath-taking, Thakur alleged that the attitude of the Congress dispensation was vengeful and demanded it should immediately revoke the orders denotifying over 900 institutions opened by the previous BJP government. CM Sukhu justified the closure and challenged the Opposition to debate on the issue on the second day.

“This has never been seen in the history of Himachal. The Congress is working with a political vendetta. I urge them that closing these departments is not for the benefit of the people. They must reconsider and notify these institutions,” Thakur said, amid chants of “shame” by the BJP MLAs. After oath-taking, business resumed with another heated debate over the closure of departments.
“The BJP opened hundreds of institutions and we have data to support that there had been no appointments. Science classes have been started in school without hiring any teachers.

The party thought that divine power will run these departments. They believe it was for the public’s benefit but it got them a seat in the opposition gallery,” responded Sukhu. The CM added that the previous BJP government opened over 900 institutions in the last nine months of their tenure, including 386 educational institutions and 584 other institutions, and running them would require Rs 5000 crore.

There was also a ruckus over the demand for the re-notification of departments, following which BJP MLAs walked out of the Assembly calling for the dissolution of the government.
The BJP remained aggressive in its strategy of cornering the government over the closure of departments and the lack of Cabinet. The Opposition is likely to maintain its stance over the course of the remaining days of the session.

The Congress, meanwhile, distributed a list of institutions in the House claiming that the Finance Department expressed “concurrence” for 94 and “regret” over 480 institutions.
The former chief minister also claimed that the new government has denotified a police post opened in 1952. The BJP leader alleged that the state government was insensitive as it went ahead with the Abhar rally on Tuesday even after the death of an IPC officer on duty.