Himachal legislator for ‘no work, no pay’ in house

With the Himachal Pradesh assembly being stalled for the fifth consecutive day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi Friday favoured “no work, no pay” if minimum legislative business was not transacted.

“They have failed to play the role of the opposition. If ‘no work, no pay’ is applicable on government employees, it should also be applicable on the legislators,” Ravi said on the walkout by the Congress legislators.

The opposition boycotted the house over its demand of an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into allegations of corruption against Health Minister Rajeev Bindal. It also demanded the minister’s removal from the cabinet.

As the house met, opposition leader Vidya Stokes stood up and accused Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of deceiving the opposition. “The chief minister assured us that he is ready for a probe. But later during the governor’s address (Thursday), he gave a clean chit to Bindal.”

Replying to Stokes’s accusations, Dhumal said: “We are ready to investigate, provided the Congress brings (material) evidence to support their allegations.”

Not satisfied with Dhumal’s reply, the Congress members staged a walkout amidst sloganeering.

Bindal said he had not purchased even a single property since he became minister in January 2008. “I am ready to face any probe.”

Angered over their repeated walkouts on a single issue, Speaker Tulsi Ram Thursday said: “You are just wasting the time of the house. I have already given my ruling. Raking up the issue again and again is a violation of rules.”

“Don’t force me to take some strong steps,” he added.