Shimla: Much to the surprise of treasury benches, opposition congress withdrew its cut motions on home department on Wednesday before the speaker Tulsi Ram applied the guillotine for passing of the budget for 2011-12.
Responding to the debate on the cut motions moved by Kaul Singh Thakur, Anil Kumar, Yog Raj, Prakash Chaudhary, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Surender Bhardwaj, Mukehs Agnihotri, Gangu Ram Musafir and Rajesh Dharmani, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that though the law and order situation in the state was under control and peaceful but after the industrial package and setting up of power projects some changes were being noticed.
Referring to Kaul Singh statement while moving the cut motions about there being two levels of law in the state, Dhumal reminded the congress leader about dual application of law when in 2003 while attempting to hold a protest demonstration before Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on The Ridge, opposition leaders and others including women were beaten after a lathi charge was ordered.
When the matter was raised in the Vidhan Sabha, a privellige motion was moved against the legislators. some were arrested and we kept protesting that the law was not uniformly being applied, cases were made out against us, said Dhumal.
He said that the government was not discriminating on political grounds and anyone found damaging public property was being booked be it ABVP, NSUI, SFI or any other outfit.
In response to Anil Sharma’s query, the chief minister said that the government had asked the Mandi deputy commissioner to look for land outside the city for shifting of the jail from its present location.
The chief minister said that the police was functioning in a transparent manner. He said that in a matter related to the High Court asking the Baddi police to register an FIR in a case, IG South zone was conducting an enquiry and action against those implicated for dereliction of duty would be taken.
Funds had been marked for modernization of police forces, meeting housing needs of police personnel as well as for better infrastructure to have better policing, said Dhumal.
With Dhumal assuring the house that efforts to provide complete security for all resident was being made in right earnest, senior congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur said, “in view of the detailed answer by the chief minister, we withdraw our cut motions with the hope that you will provide sufficient staff in the thanas and police chowkis.â€
Later Speaker Tusli Ram, after applying the guillotine, put the budgetary demands to vote which passed by the house.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
