The Monsoon Session of the 14th Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly will begin on Friday. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said on Wednesday that 1,026 questions have been received online for the 10-sitting session. He also said an Assurance Committee could be formed under the Speaker to track assurances made by the government on the floor of the House.
Speaking to the media in Shimla, Pathania said the session would start at 11 am on August 21 and continue until September 3. An all-party meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss arrangements and ensure the smooth running of the session.
Pathania said the Assembly Secretariat had received 1,026 starred and unstarred questions as of August 18. Most of these questions concern vacancies in health and educational institutions, damage to infrastructure and other issues affecting the state.
The Speaker said the Assembly had also received 50 notices under different rules. These include 13 Calling Attention Notices, two notices under Rule 62, five notices under Rule 101 for Private Members' Day and 15 notices under Rule 130. All the notices were submitted online.
"All notices have been sent to the government," he said. Issues concerning healthcare, medicines, civil supplies and other public matters have been raised under Rule 130. He said at least two hours would be available for discussion under this rule.
Speaking about the Assembly's performance, Pathania said its productivity had ranged between 90 and 120 per cent. He described this as one of the highest levels of productivity among state legislatures in the country.
Pathania said an Assurance Committee could be set up under the Speaker to monitor whether commitments made by the government in the House were being fulfilled. He said such a committee would also help address concerns raised by legislators about pending assurances.
"I appeal to all members to cooperate with me as Speaker and ensure the smooth functioning of the House," Pathania said.
On matters related to privilege, Pathania said around five to seven cases were still pending. Most of the issues, however, had already been dealt with. He said the Petitions Committee had so far received around 120 petitions and had helped 75 people through the process.
Pathania also said the Assembly was committed to protecting the more than 100-year-old Assembly building. He said efforts would be made to preserve its heritage while ensuring that it continues to function effectively.
On the proposed Assurance Committee, Pathania said he would constitute it if members wanted one. He said the information and assurances provided by the government so far had generally been satisfactory. However, if cases of non-compliance came to his notice, the Speaker had the authority to take cognisance and constitute a committee to examine them.
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