Himachal Pradesh Cabinet to discuss venue of upcoming Assembly session today

Winters sessions of the Assembly are customarily held in Dharamshala instead of state capital Shimla, and earlier this month, the Cabinet had asked Bandaru Dattatreya to convene the winter session from December 7 to 11 in Dharamshala.

Himachal Pradesh Assembly, FRBM Act, HP Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, Mukesh Agnihotri, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, Himachal news, shimla news, indian express

Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (File Photo)

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet will be meeting on Tuesday ahead of the state Assembly’s winter session which is scheduled to begin on December 7. Members of the Cabinet are likely to discuss the venue for the upcoming session due to the rising number of Covid cases in the state.

Winters sessions of the Assembly are customarily held in Dharamshala instead of state capital Shimla, and earlier this month, the Cabinet had asked Bandaru Dattatreya to convene the winter session from December 7 to 11 in Dharamshala. However, Covid cases in the state have witnessed a sharp spike since then, forcing the state government to reintroduce social gathering restrictions in the state and night curfew in four of the worst-hit districts.

A few days ago, an all-party meeting was held to discuss the possibility of postponing the Assembly session or changing its venue. The Cabinet will now consider if the session can be held in Shimla due to the logistical challenges involved in holding it in Dharamshala amid the Covid surge. MLAs, bureaucrats, and a large number of government and police personnel are typically required to camp at Dharamshala during the winter session, which results in additional expenses to the state government in terms of transportation and accommodation. This year, holding the session in Dharamshala also involves the risk of Covid transmission.

The state Assembly had last met in September, when a ten-day monsoon session was held in Shimla.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram