4 bills tabled on 1st day; BJP moves adjournment motion

Dharamshala: Four bills, including the Land Ceiling Amendment Bill, were tabled on the first day of the Winter Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, even as the BJP tried to corner the state govt on the issue of corruption by moving an adjournment motion. The Ceiling on Land Holdings Amendment Bill, 2024, was introduced in the assembly by revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, and will enable Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) to transfer its land and building of Bhota charitable hospital to its sister organization Jagat Singh Medical Relief Society. The bill allows the transfer of land, and structure for religious, spiritual or charitable purposes, subject to a maximum limit of 30 acres. The amendment was necessitated as the RSSB was not able to transfer its land and had in November temporarily shut the hospital, sparking off protests from residents of Hamirpur against the closure. The RSSB is running a 75-bed hospital situated on 44 acres of land, in Bhota, Hamirpur. The other bills, which were tabled in the assembly, are Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (amendment) Bill, Himachal Pradesh Police (amendment) Bill and Himachal Pradesh Recruitment and Conditions of Services Bill. Earlier, the winter session started with BJP legislators demanding a debate under Rule 67 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Assembly. After Speaker Kuldeep Pathania gave his consent to the adjournment motion with chief minister Sukhvinder Sukhu also agreeing to the BJP’s demand, the first day’s scheduled business was suspended and a stormy debate ensued on corruption with both Opposition and ruling MLAs levelling allegations against each other’s govts. Starting the debate, BJP MLA from Naina Devi constituency in Bilaspur, Randhir Sharma, accused the state government of indulging in corruption during its two years of rule. Sharma alleged corruption in the excise policy, in a land deal and in the distribution of relief money to the victims of monsoon disaster of last year etc.BJP MLAs including Satpal Satti, Balbir Singh Verma, Surender Shourie and Vinod Kumar also levelled allegations of corruption at various levels of governance. Replying to the allegations, Sukhu said that BJP legislators should support their allegations with proof. “The government has consented to the Opposition’s demand for a debate. It’s good that we are having a debate. But the legislators have no proof to support their allegations. Moreover, how serious the BJP is regarding these allegations can be gauged from the fact the Leader of Opposition is not even present in the House,” Sukhu replied while pointing towards the seat of Jai Ram Thakur. “This government does not tolerate corruption and will not spare the corrupt, provided there is proof,” added Sukhu. A number of Congress MLAs including Sanjay Awasthy, Ashish Butail, Bhawani Singh Pathania, Suresh Kumar, defended the government while levelling counter allegations of corruption against the BJP during its rule.The four bills were tabled in the post-lunch session, when most of the BJP legislators, including the Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur were not present in the House. Later during the debate, Thakur demanded that the tabled bills be withdrawn as no business was allowed during adjournment motion under Rule 67. However, Speaker Pathania told the House that as a Speaker, he had the privilege to allow the introduction of the bills.
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