Himachal Assembly’s Longest-Ever Winter Session Begins in Dharamshala with Record Legislative Workload

Winter Session Opens in Dharamshala Today with a Record Legislative Workload

The much-anticipated Winter Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly begins Wednesday at the Tapovan Assembly Complex in Dharamshala, coinciding with Constitution Day. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania announced that this year’s session will be the longest ever held in Dharamshala, running from November 26 to December 5, with 10 scheduled days and at least eight working sittings.

This session marks a significant procedural shift: for the first time, all questions and notices have been submitted online. Pathania said the Assembly Secretariat has received 744 questions from MLAs—604 starred and 140 unstarred—which have been forwarded to the government for responses during the session. Additionally, the House has received multiple notices for discussion: 11 under Rule 62, four under Rule 63, seven under Rule 101, 16 under Rule 130, and one under Rule 324.

The issues raised by members reflect the concerns of people across the state. Most questions this time relate to disaster relief and the demand for central assistance following this year’s devastating events; delays in DPRs for road projects; repair and construction of bridges; merger of schools; upgrading health and educational institutions; filling vacant government posts; drinking water supply schemes; tourism infrastructure; rising criminal cases; drug abuse among youth; and uneven development across constituencies.

Two days—November 28 and December 4—have been reserved for non-official members’ business. With the conclusion of this Winter Session, the Assembly will have held 35 sittings in 2025: 15 during the Budget Session, 12 in the Monsoon Session, and eight in the ongoing Winter Session.