HP: Oppn members disrupt question hour seeking discussion on issue of outsource policy

Shimla, Apr 4 – The opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday disrupted the question hour demanding immediate discussion on the outsourcing policy.

At the house assembly for the budget session on Tuesday morning, BJP Legislator Sukhram Chaudhary raised the issue that an adjournment motion was moved by the BJP seeking discussion to bring a policy for recruitment of outsourced employees in the state.

Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania did not allow the opposition to raise the issue stating that this matter was also raised by members of treasury benches also in the question hour and the government would give a reply in the house asking the member to take question hours This agitated a BJP member and they went to the well of the house and started sloganeering against the ruling of the chair.

Later, the house participated in the question hour amid the disruption by the opposition. Speaker also called the members of the opposition to ask the question but they were shouting slogans all the members of the treasury benches took part in it.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said “Jai Ram Thakur remained chief minister for five years then why his government did not frame a policy for the outsourcing employees. Today he is coming out of his slumber by disrupting the question hour. After 100 days of defeat they understood the importance of Outsource employees.”

Dy CM said people of state felt that they were unable to serve them. He said the assembly is in session for fifteen days but the opposition today remembered the importance of the issue which they were raising, disrupting the proceedings of the assembly.

Dy CM said this government has already thought about the interest of outsource employees and it has hiked their wages by Rs 700 per month and a cabinet subcommittee headed by the Industry minister Harashvardhan Chauhan is already looking into the matter. He accused the previous government for constituting a subcommittee in the last moment of governance and also hired a Cleanways company to outsource the jobs without following the norms. He said that the Government did not allow the Cleanways to hire the outsource flouting the recruitment norms. He said the Chief Minister is serious on the issue and would come out with policy after having the subcommittee report.

Speaker also condemned the leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur for violating an assembly rule. Mr Pathania said rule 2 and sub-rule of 12 did not allow any member to address the house showing back to the chair but Mr Jai Ram Thakur despite repeated requests did not turn toward the chair and showed back in the house. He said that the behavior of LOP was not to become a member of the house. Cautioning the LOP in the house when no member of opposition was in the house that he should expect to improve his behaviour, however,he is not interested to take any punitive action on this.

Vinod Sultanpuri (Kasauli-Congress) raised the issue of not removing blackspot in his assembly constituency stating that the answer given by the National Highway Authority of India is highly unsatisfactory. Replying to the query raised by a Cong member Public Works Department minister stated that he had also brought discussion under rule 62 yesterday. I would write a letter to NHAI to assist the state government to remove the black spot from the national highway and also keep the concern of members before planning NH and fourlane.