Himachal Pradesh News
Himachal Vidhan Sabha Budget Session to begin on February 16 with Governor’s address
The 11th session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha will commence on February 16, beginning with the customary address by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, according to a notification issued by the Raj Bhavan on Friday.
The 11th session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha will commence on February 16, beginning with the customary address by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, according to a notification issued by the Raj Bhavan on Friday.
However, the notification does not mention the duration of the session or the date on which Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will present the state Budget.
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Pathania said the House will assemble at 2 pm on the opening day for the Governor’s address. This will be followed by obituary references to former legislators who have passed away recently. Legislative business will then be taken up during the course of the session.
Earlier, the state government had proposed convening a one-day special session on February 17 to exclusively deliberate on the state’s financial position, particularly after the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) — a crucial source of central financial assistance for the hill state.
However, Chief Minister Sukhu confirmed that the Governor returned the proposal seeking approval for the special sitting. As a result, discussions on the RDG discontinuation and its impact on the state’s fiscal health and development will now take place during the regular Budget session.
PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said the Budget session traditionally begins with the Governor’s address and holding a separate discussion-focused sitting might have raised procedural concerns.
“There were probably technical issues. Therefore, the discussion on the state’s financial condition will now be held during the routine session,” he said.
