HP Speaker takes cognisance of officials ignoring MLAs’ calls, promises action

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The North News

Shimla, Februray 17

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Tuesday took cognisance of officials increasingly avoiding the telephone calls of elected representatives.

Terming the behaviour as arbitrary and serious, he asked the MLAs to submit the names of such officials, so that action can be initiated against them under the Assembly rules.

The matter was raised by Congress MLA from Gagret, Rakesh Kalia, during the Question Hour.

Neither do some officials answer MLAs’ calls to enquire about public work, nor do they call back, Kalia said.

The opposition and ruling party legislators alike have raised the issue of officials’ high-handedness and failure to answer calls, he said.

The Gagret MLA requested the government to stop telephone allowance given to officials who do not answer calls of elected representatives, and threatened to stir up protests outside the offices of such officials if the government did not curb this practice immediately.

The issue raised by Kalia was backed by both the ruling and opposition MLAs, who thumped their tables in support.

Describing the issue as “extremely serious” and one demanding immediate attention, Speaker Pathania directed Kalia to submit the names of such officials to the Assembly Secretariat so that action could be taken against them.

Pathania said he was taking cognisance of the matter and asked the MLAs to submit the names of officials who failed to answer calls of public representatives.