Shimla, Sep 4 (PTI) Zero Hour would be introduced in the Himachal assembly after framing standard operating procedures (SOPs), Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said on Wednesday.
Only urgent issues of public interest which cannot be listed or are not listed under the rules can be raised during the Question Hour but the Speaker has the discretion to allow any issue and giving the reply immediately is also not binding, he added.
The Speaker’s remarks came after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan raised the issue immediately after the Question Hour.
Chauhan said the government was not taken into confidence before taking the decision to introduce Zero Hour which proves that the Speaker is neutral and does not act under the pressure of the government as often claimed by the opposition.
“We are not opposed to Zero Hour but want that SOPs and other modalities be framed regarding what type of issues can be raised. The matter should be decided by the business advisory committees to the satisfaction of the members and should not become a ploy for settling political issues,” he said.
Clarifying that an issue raised in Zero Hour should be brief for two to three minutes and cannot be raised repeatedly, Pathania said the “SOPs will be the same as in Parliament”.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also said that Zero Hour should be introduced only after discussion with the government and framing of SOPs and asserted that the parliamentary affairs minister has not challenged the Speaker’s authority.
The government has no objection to start Zero Hour but the modalities and SOPs must be in place when it is introduced, he added.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said issues of public interest can be raised during Zero Hour which is also there in 10 Vidhan Sabhas and Parliament.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said Chauhan was casting aspersions on the chair by stating that the Speaker did not take the government into confidence.
“Opposition is in favour of Zero Hour and modalities should be framed so that maximum members can raise public issues as it is not possible to give them time otherwise but it appears that government is not concerned about introduction of Zero Hour,” he added.
Randhir Sharma (BJP) suggested that Zero Hour should be for one hour and not half-an-hour after deciding the modalities. PTI BPL ZMN
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