Himachal Pradesh Assembly passes 2 bills unchanged, disregards governor's objections

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Monday once again passed the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill without making any changes, even after objections were raised by the governor. The Bill had earlier been cleared during the Winter Session of the Assembly and was awaiting the governor’s assent, according to news agency PTI. However, the governor returned it to the House for reconsideration, citing certain objections. Despite this, the Assembly passed the Bill again in its original form. The amendment was introduced by Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani. It proposes appointing the chief secretary as the chairperson of the committee responsible for selecting the chairman and members of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), replacing the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in that role. The Bill was passed by voice vote without any modifications. The Assembly also cleared the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Amendment Bill, which aims to extend the tenure of mayors and deputy mayors from two-and-a-half years to five years. This Bill, which replaced an Ordinance, had also been returned by the governor for reconsideration. The House, however, passed it again in its original form.