Himachal Pradesh Assembly Reschedules Budget Amidst Crucial Legislative Deliberations

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly announced a holiday for March 15, rescheduling the state budget presentation to March 17 at 11 AM. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania discussed key legislative issues and addressed concerns about media misrepresentations of the Governor's address, issuing show cause notices to three involved newspapers.

In a significant development impacting the ongoing budget session, the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has declared a holiday for Saturday, March 15. Consequently, the state budget presentation, previously scheduled for Monday, March 17 at 2:00 PM, will now occur at 11:00 AM. This change was announced by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania following a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting. While discussions about extending the session continue, all stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, have agreed to the new schedule.

Speaker Pathania provided insights into the BAC meeting, noting that various pressing issues were raised by legislators such as Kewal Singh Pathania, Vipin Singh Parmar, and Jeet Ram Katwal. These issues include matters related to Outsourced Employees, the Forest Conversion Act, among other key policy concerns. Pathania emphasized, "Discussions on these topics are vital in a welfare state where legislators have the right to bring up matters of public interest."

Addressing the March 15 session cancellation, Pathania stated, "Based on the BAC's recommendation, the Saturday session on March 15 is deferred, and no proceedings will take place that day. Meanwhile, the budget is rescheduled to March 17 at 11:00 AM." Moreover, Speaker Pathania expressed concern over misrepresentations of the Governor's address in certain newspapers. As a result, the Assembly issued show cause notices to three newspapers, demanding explanations within three days. "I have taken action on this issue. The Governor's address is a constitutional high point, and any misquotation is serious. Notices have been sent to three newspapers requiring responses in three days," Pathania added. With critical legislative matters and budget discussions ahead, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly's proceedings in the coming days will be closely monitored.

(With inputs from agencies.)