Himachal Pradesh Officials Under Fire for Ignoring MLAs' Calls

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania addressed the issue of officials ignoring calls from elected representatives. Highlighted by MLA Rakesh Kalia, the problem was termed serious. Both opposition and ruling party members supported measures, including withdrawing telephone allowances and potential protests.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a heated discussion over a pressing issue: officials frequently avoiding phone calls from elected representatives. This behavior, considered arbitrary and serious, prompted Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania to demand accountability from those in charge.

Congress MLA Rakesh Kalia from Gagret spearheaded the complaint during the Question Hour. He expressed concern over certain officials neither responding to calls about public work nor returning them. Kalia's concerns were echoed by legislators across party lines, spotlighting a bureaucratic negligence trend.

A consensus emerged among both opposition and ruling MLAs to act decisively. Proposals included withdrawing telephone allowances from negligent officials and staging protests. Speaker Pathania directed MLAs to report such officials, emphasizing the situation's seriousness and the necessity for immediate action.

(With inputs from agencies.)