DHARAMSALA : For the first time during the four-day winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Dharamsala a complete unanimity was seen in the House on Thursday when MLAs from both sides praised the Government decision to hold the sitting in Dharamsala-Kangra and advised the Chief Minister to make it an annual feature here.

Speaking on a thanksgiving motion moved by Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan, the majority of the MLAs called it a historic decision taken in the interest of otherwise ignored people of the lower or merged areas of the State.

Initiating a debate on the issue, the Revenue Minister, who also belongs to Kangra, said the credit for building up Himachal as an independent State and then taking all historic decisions in its favour goes to the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress Party.

He said after this session now a permanent building and infrastructure would be created in Dharamsala for the coming years and it would become a regular feature here.

Opposition leader Prem Kumar Dhumal also congratulated the Government for the session in Dharamsala and said the earlier BJP Government had made the mini-Secretariat in Dharamsala and had then pledged for a Vidhan Sabha session here if voted back to power in 2003.

Original idea

Claiming it to be his original idea, he said the BJP Governments in the past had shifted a number of important offices to the lower areas to create a regional, political and emotional balance. The Congress had then criticised the move as "a childish and irresponsible proposal".

Senior BJP leader Mr. I.D. Dhiman said the people of the area were more concerned about the development rather then holding of an Assembly session here.

But he demanded that Dharamsala be made the winter capital of the State for at least three months.

Mahendra Singh of the BJP, while taking a dig at the ruling Congress, said though it was a good step, residents of Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti were also feeling ignored and left out. He said instead of shifting the Capital to Dharamsala in Kangra it should be done either in Sundernagar or Jahu in Mandi which were more centrally located

Sujan Singh Pathania of the Congress said the Chief Minister by holding the session in Dharamsala had silenced the demand for giving more representation to Kangra in the State Cabinet. He said the issue of discrimination against Kangra could not be raised now by anyone.

Another Congress MLA, Kuldip Singh Pathania, expressed fears about the finances involved in such exercises of shifting capitals and Vidhan Sabha sessions.

K.D. Dharmani of the BJP said before taking such important decisions a comprehensive debate was required along with insights from scholars, experts and intellectuals from all fields.

"The money spent on the session could have been given to Kangra as a special package for development."

The majority of MLAs and Ministers from Chamba, Kangra and Una including Animal Husbandry Minister Harsh Mahajan called it a historic decision and said it had reduced distances and increased proximity with the government to the people coming from far-flung areas.

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