Himachal Monsoon Session to focus on rain-induced disasters; revive petition committee after 28 years

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 14 (ANI): The upcoming Monsoon Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, beginning August 18, will be the longest in the 14th Assembly and is expected to be dominated by discussions on recurring cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides that cause widespread damage each year, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said on Thursday.
Addressing reporters in Shimla, Pathania said the session will have 12 sittings, making it the longest since the ninth Assembly.
"So far, 830 questions have been received -- 679 starred and 151 unstarred. The destruction caused by torrential rains will dominate this session, as most of the questions and notices from both treasury and opposition benches pertain to the devastation in the state," he said.
Pathania also announced the revival of the Petition Committee of the Assembly after nearly 28 years. "This committee existed during the sixth and seventh Vidhan Sabha but was not constituted thereafter. Now, members from both the ruling party and the opposition have been included," he said.
He described the committee as "a relief for common people forced to knock on court doors for public interest matters." "Now they can get quick justice through the Petition Committee without spending money. The aim is to resolve pending administrative matters in time and deliver justice to the common citizens," Pathania said.
The Speaker added that the reformation of the Assurance Committee is also under consideration. "Ministers give assurances in the Assembly, but there is no monitoring mechanism. We are considering reconstituting the committee to track such assurances," he said.
On infrastructure matters, Pathania said reconstruction of the Metropol building -- the MLA and Assembly staff residential complex in Shimla, declared unsafe -- remains pending.
"We have received Rs 36 crore from the government for the reconstruction, but the amount is still with the Public Works Department. Alternative accommodation has not been arranged, so the building is yet to be vacated. Reconstruction can only start after residents are relocated," he said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, speaking separately about the monsoon session, urged the opposition to participate constructively. "They can certainly make allegations, but they should back them with facts and logic. The Assembly is for discussion, not for walkouts," Sukhu said, criticising repeated opposition walkouts in past sessions. (ANI)