India News | Himachal Assembly Session Begins Amid COVID-19 Norms, Cong Demands Cabinet's Resignation

Shimla, Sep 7 (PTI) The Monsoon Session of Himachal Pradesh Assembly began Monday amid strict COVID-19 norms, with the Congress on the first day attacking the government over several issues, including the coronavirus crisis, and demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his cabinet colleagues.

The ruling BJP hit back, accusing the Congress of levelling baseless allegations with political motives.

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Replying to the issues raised by Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihtori during discussion on the adjournment motion moved by him under Rule 67, Thakur said the Congress had not expected that a discussion under this rule would be allowed.

It thought it would not be allowed to move the adjournment motion and it could then stage a walkout for publicity, but it did not happen, he said.

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On Agnihotri's demand of resignation of the CM and his cabinet colleagues, Thakur said “there is no need for our resignations” as these were baseless allegations just for political mileage.

The Himachal Pradesh government has done a commendable job in handling the novel coronavirus, he added.

Earlier initiating the discussion on adjournment motion, Agnihotri sought the resignations of the CM and his cabinet colleagues, alleging the entire cabinet is involved in “deceiving” the public by withdrawing subsidy on food, making power costlier and hiking bus fare by 25 percent during corona phase.

The bus fare has been increased by 50 percent during the current government, he added.

Agnihotri said the then education minister Suresh Bhardwaj had issued a statement that no student would be required to deposit fees, but every private school also collected school bus fare during the coronavirus pandemic.

He also said 2,000 people died by suicide since Jai Ram Thakur came to power in December 27, 2017 -- 550 of them in the past five months.

A sanitiser scam happened in the state secretariat right under the nose of the chief minister and raincoats were provided to doctors instead of PPE kits, he added.

The CM should have resigned for the alleged health scam as he was then holding additional charge of the health department, but Rajeev Bindal was made a “scapegoat” and he quit as the state BJP president, Agnihotri added.

He said four lakh people became jobless under the government.

In his reply, the chief minister said Agnihotri was trying to play with facts on suicides.

The chief minister said he was not justifying but as many as 1,900 people had committed suicides in three years between 2013 and 2015 during the Congress rule.

The CM said Bindal had resigned from state BJP chief's post on moral grounds.

Participating in the discussion, Congress legislator Asha Kumari said the Centre was asking the state government to take a loan instead of providing GST compensation, whereas the state is already under a debt burden of Rs. 60,000 crores.

She said that standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the state government were not followed at coronavirus quarantine centres.

Only four washrooms were provided for 200 people at quarantine centres, she said, adding that liquor was served at centres in Chamba and a video of the incident went viral.

Kumari also said as many as 500 people including state officials participated in marriage parties, despite SOP of only 50 persons attending such functions.

The Congress legislator said that online classes were of no use for most students as either they have no smart phones or they face weak network.

She demanded the year be declared as zero year and students promoted without taking examination.

Kumari further stated that if Bindal was given a clean chit, why he was not rewarded for being cleared of the charges.

Balbir Singh, Ram Lal, Rakesh Singha also participated in the discussion.

Earlier, the Assembly passed condolence motions mourning the deaths of former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Dharamshala MLA Chandravarkar and former Theog MLA Rakesh Verma.

The Assembly also passed condolence motions mourning the deaths of the soldiers in clash with China in Galwan valley and of those who succumbed due to coronavirus.

This is the first session of the state assembly after a countrywide coronavirus lockdown came into effect on March 25.

The 12-day monsoon session began at 2 pm under strict COVID-19 measures.

Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar informed the House about the steps taken to check the spread of the disease during the monsoon session.

Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh was among the MLAs who were present in the 68-member House.

However, Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur could not attend the session as he tested positive for the coronavirus on September 3. He is being treated at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC).

The speaker said the assembly complex will be sanitised twice a day during the session.

Six-feet-high transparent polycarbonate sheets have been installed in the house to maintain distance among the legislators, he added.

Parmar said thermal scanners have been made available at five entrance gates of the Vidhan Sabha and any person with fever would be sent to the dispensary in the assembly complex.

Arrangements have also been made for rapid coronavirus tests and ambulances, he added.

The legislators will be provided surgical face masks and sanitisers, the speaker said. On March 23, the assembly was adjourned sine die amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

As per norms, the assembly session has to be convened at least once in six months, Parmar said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)