The 12-day-long monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday, beginning with obituary references.
Tributes were paid to former MLA Ganesh Dutt Bharwal, who passed away recently, as well as to those who lost their lives in the recent spell of heavy rains and natural calamities in the state. The House observed a two-minute silence in their memory.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while paying homage, said that Ganesh Dutt Bharwal passed away on July 20, 2025, at the age of 79.
He recalled that Bharwal entered politics in 1970 as an active member of the Youth Congress and later became a member of the District Congress Committee in 1981. In 1985, he was elected as MLA from the Chintpurni constituency. The Chief Minister said that Bharwal had a deep interest in social service and dedicated his life to public welfare. He also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the recent monsoon disaster and prayed for the departed souls.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur also paid tribute, recalling Bharwal’s contribution as a public representative.
He said Bharwal, a native of Amb in Una district, was born on February 6, 1946, and remained committed to the Congress party throughout his political journey. Jairam Thakur further added that Himachal has suffered heavy loss of lives during the ongoing monsoon, with over 200 deaths reported across the state, including the highest toll in the Seraj constituency. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chander Kumar, Chintpurni MLA Sudarshan Singh, Gagret MLA Rakesh Kalia, Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti, Kutlehar MLA Vivek Sharma, and others also joined in paying tributes. Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania recalled that he and Bharwal were colleagues in the House in 1985 and described him as a person devoted to social upliftment and known for his gentle nature.
He too expressed grief over the tragic loss of lives in the recent rains.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as many a 268 lives have been lost this monsoon season, including 140 deaths due to rain-related incidents and 128 deaths due to road accidents.