Ruckus after denial of debate on Dharamsala investors’ meet

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 10

The Congress again staged a walkout from the House today for not being allowed debate over expenditure on investors’ meet, increase in the price of onion and crime against women.

As Question Hour began, Harshvardhan Chauhan got up and objected to the inclusion of their names in the discussion on investors’ meet.

Chauhan alleged that they had given a notice under Rule 67 for debate on expenditure incurred on the meet and procedures being adopted to give land to investors through MoU. The notice was rejected by the Speaker yesterday. However, they found that their names were mentioned in debate under Rule 130 on the impact of investors’ meet.

He was supported by CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri.

The ruling party MLAs also got up from their seats and objected to the language used by Congress legislators while taking up the issue.

Speaker Rajiv Bindal said since topics of the debate were identical, he clubbed two notices and kept the debate on investors meet under Rule 130. He also said in the past two years, he had given equal chance to the ruling and Opposition to raise their issues.

The Speaker said Agnihotri accused him of campaigning in the Pachhad elections despite the fact that he was attending a conference in Uganda.

To this Chauhan said, “We had said the ruling party misused the office of Speaker during the byelections.”

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who generally remains cool, was also seen in an aggressive mode. Attacking the Opposition, he said let it be Himachal and don’t make it Punjab or Bihar.

Congress members got up from their seats, moved into the well of the House and started raising slogans against the government. They had garlands of onions and protested against price rise and also brought banners with slogans that investors’ meet was a scam and that the BJP government had failed to control the prices of essential commodities in the country.

Agnihotri, talking to newspersons, alleged that they were not being allowed to raise their issues. People wanted to know about the money spent on the meet. “We want the government should issue White Paper on it,” he said.

Ruling MLAs praise CM

With the Congress staging a walkout from the House, ruling party members were all praise for the efforts of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for the event.

The resolution was brought by five MLAs Balbir Singh, Narendra Bragta, Hoshiar Singh, Rakesh Jamwal and Kishori Lal.

Balbir Sinbh, MLA, Chintpurni, said the Congress had opposed when the Dhumal-led BJP government allowed private universities in the state but when the Congress came to power, the leaders attended the annual functions of these universities.

“I congratulate the CM on the success of Global Investors’ Meet. It was a historic step,” he said, as opposition benches had no occupants.

Sloganeering, Walkout 

• Congress members got up from their seats, moved into the well of the House and started raising slogans
• Wearing garlands of onions, they protested against price rise
• They raised banners with slogans that investors’ meet was a scam
• After half an hour, Cong MLAs staged a walkout

Two Bills tabled 

• CM tabled the HP Good and Service Tax (amendment Bill). Presently, every supplier making a taxable supply of more than Rs 20 lakh in the state is liable to be registered in HP. The amendment proposes to increase the limit to Rs 40 lakh
• Minister for Industries Bikram Thakur tabled the HP Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (facilitation of establishment and operation) Bill 2019 in the House. It proposes to exempt any person bringing a micro, small and medium enterprise in the state from taking approvals from government departments for three years. 

Courtesy: Tribune News Service