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Journalism of Courage
In the recently concluded Winter Session of the Assembly, the BJP, now in the Opposition chair, kept up the heat over department closures in the state. As the state continued to function without a Cabinet for almost a month since the election results, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu went to meet the party high command halfway through the session. Seven ministers were inducted into the Cabinet on Sunday morning.
The session was held in Dharamshala’s Tapovan near the Dhaula Dhua range in the lower Himachal region from January 4 to January 6. It began on a stormy note, with former CM and now Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur alleging “political vendetta” behind the Congress government shutting down departments that his administration had opened in the run-up to the polls last year.
In one of its first moves after coming to power, the Sukhu government announced the closure of more than 500 governmental institutions – including health and electricity departmental offices – that were opened after April 1. The party said they were “opened in view of elections and did not merit any administrative functioning”.
Sukhu said in the Assembly, “The BJP opened these departments without making any appointments. Such is their belief in higher powers that the government felt a divine entity would run these departments. They claim to have worked for the public but all this work got them a seat on the Opposition bench.”
Calling the situation “unprecedented”, the BJP demanded a re-notification of the departments. It even staged a walkout on the first day after the newly-elected MLAs took oath.
The BJP also slammed the working of the House and claimed the Sukhu government was “allowing excess people inside the premises of the House”. “This is Vidhan Sabha, not a Jan Sabha,” remarked Thakur.
Kuldeep Singh Pathania, a five-time MLA from the Bhattiat constituency who was initially thought to be in the running for a Cabinet post, was appointed Speaker with a unanimous resolution of both parties.
On the second day, in an address to the Assembly, Governor RV Arlekar encouraged legislators to meet the expectations of the public.
The Congress introduced a Bill to enhance its borrowing limit set under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2005. The Governor, meanwhile, approved the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Later that day, Sukhu rushed to Delhi to hold urgent meetings with the high command about Cabinet expansion. By that point, some MLAs in the running for the posts were said to be making an effort to meet the CM. Some even followed Sukhu to Delhi, leaving the treasury bench half empty.
The CM missed the final day of the session. Thakur, too, had to leave the proceedings midway following the demise of his father-in-law.
The day saw a discussion on state finance and lending. The government alleged the BJP rule in the state had made the financial situation dire due to heavy lending. The Opposition party hit back saying the Congress had no vision for the Budget, adding “that its only priority was to undo the work done in the previous rule”.
The BJP then walked out after alleging that it was not allowed to speak during a vote of thanks for the Governor’s address.
Pathania said three meetings were held and two Bills were passed in the session.
