By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Aug: The monsoon session of the Uttarakhand Assembly is scheduled to begin on 19 August at the Bhararisain Vidhan Sabha building near Gairsain which is the State’s summer capital. In preparation for the session, the Dhami government has entrusted Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal with the responsibility of officiating as Parliamentary Affairs Minister during the proceedings. This post has remained unassigned since the resignation of former Cabinet Minister Prem Chand Agarwal.
The monsoon session, to be held from 19 to 22 August in Bhararisain, was announced following a Cabinet decision on 11 July. However, the government had not allocated the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio to any minister until this evening, when Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami authorised Subodh Uniyal to discharge the functions associated with the role for the duration of the second session of the fifth Uttarakhand Assembly. An official order to this effect has been issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.
According to the order, Uniyal will respond to all legislative and parliamentary questions pertaining to departments under the Chief Minister’s charge and will carry out other necessary functions during the session.
It may be recalled that Prem Chand Agarwal, who resigned from the Cabinet on 16 March, had been in charge of the Urban Development and Finance Ministries as well as the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry. Following his resignation, all three portfolios reverted to the Chief Minister. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister’s role is crucial during Assembly sessions, as it involves responding to queries from the opposition and other members. Traditionally, the Chief Minister performs this function less frequently, leading to expectations that the government would appoint a minister to handle these responsibilities.
Assembly sources have indicated that around 545 questions have been submitted by MLAs from across the state ahead of the session. The recent large-scale natural disaster in Dharali, Uttarkashi, is expected to be a focal point, with matters relating to disaster management, rehabilitation, and resettlement likely to dominate the proceedings. Political observers believe the Bhararisain session will pose significant questions for the government.
