The 12-day monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly concluded on Tuesday.
Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania informed that the House conducted 59 hours of business with 98 percent productivity.
He said a total of 509 starred and 181 unstarred questions were raised during the session. Discussions were held on 12 topics under Rule 62 and one under Rule 63.
On non-official members’ day, three resolutions were debated—two were withdrawn, while one was adopted.
Through a government resolution under Rule 102, the Assembly urged the Centre to declare the recent natural calamity in Himachal Pradesh a national disaster.
Pathania further said that six matters were debated under Rule 130, and 11 bills were passed. One bill was later withdrawn by the government.
Five issues were raised under Rule 324, while 43 matters came up during Zero Hour. A lengthy discussion also took place on the opposition’s cut motion under Rule 67. Meanwhile, 47 reports of various committees were tabled in the House.
During the session, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed the House for 4 hours and 55 minutes, while Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur spoke for 2 hours and 55 minutes.
At the conclusion of the session, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu suggested that future monsoon sessions be held in September to avoid disruptions caused by heavy rainfall, enabling members to participate more effectively.
He cautioned that natural disasters could recur frequently under current conditions.
The Chief Minister said the state is grappling with a severe calamity and urged the opposition to take the initiative of going to Delhi to press the Centre for a special relief package for Himachal.
He also admitted that the state is facing financial stress, and it will take time to bring the economy back on track.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur advised the Chief Minister to move forward with a positive outlook and stop blaming the opposition.
He said three years of the government have already been spent in targeting the opposition, and it is time to focus on governance.
Thakur remarked that Himachal is not only passing through a natural disaster but also an economic crisis.
He said it is the opposition’s responsibility to question the government, and the government should accept criticism in the right spirit.