Does Himachal really need a second Assembly complex?

The sixth session in a row — two held during the Congress regime headed by Virbhadra Singh who started the trend of holding the Winter Session at Dharamsala and four by his BJP successor Prem Kumar Dhumal — is estimated to cost over Rs 4 crore. This,however,is besides an investment of at least Rs 16 crore made during the construction of the new Assembly complex at Tapovan,7 km from Dharamsala.

Despite the cost-cutting measures introduced by Dhumal,the session cost not less than Rs 40 lakh as accounted expenditure. The actual spending,admit senior bureaucrats,might be much higher than that reflected in the state exchequer.

The entire government machinery,led by the state Cabinet,top bureaucrats,high-ranking police officials,personnel from the forest department and two dozen administrative departments are among the 400 who move to Dharamsala for the session a day before its start. Yet,it is not only the question of over-crowding,which hampers the common citizen’s mobility,increases congestion and puts pressures on civic amenities,that is being questioned. The core issue that has been raised is whether Himachal Pradesh needs to continue with this trend at all. Does the Rs 16 crore complex — whose actual usage is just for four to five days a year — justify the purpose?

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal admits that there is need for re-thinking. “Well,if the political parties are ready for a consensus,I will definitely try to find some way out. We have so many ways to be the presence of the government felt in that area,rather a more effective manner instead of simply holding a brief Winter Session. The public is not gaining much from it.”

The Chief Minister’s winter move,an annual feature when the Chief Minister camps at Dharamsala,along with local ministers for at least a month,is considered more useful than the holding of the session. “It makes the presence of the government more meaningful,” says Capt (Redt) D S Katoch,a Dharamsala citizen.

PCC President Kaul Singh Thakur,who was perhaps the only Cabinet minister who dissented on the 2005 move by the Congress cabinet,admits the the Congress did not get any political advantage out of the decision to have the Vidhan Sabha Winter Session at Dharamsala. The party won only four Assembly seats out of the 16 in the Kangra district.

A cross section of BJP leaders,including sitting MLAs,too finding the exercise unfruitful and are putting pressure on the Chief Minister to find better ways of using the existing complex for lower Himachal Pradesh. There is a strong suggestion emerging that the complex should be handed over to the Central University,which is coming up at Dharamsala and the construction of which has not started yet.

“If the government decides on passing on the assets to the Central University,it could well be paid at least Rs 40 to 50 crore — a substantial amount of money that can later be utilised for setting up new facilities or for launching new developmental projects in the region for the people’s benefit,” said an IAS officer.