The Supreme Court has issued a notice on a petition challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s decision to cancel the appointments of all Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS). The court has sought replies and will hear the case in January.
Supreme Court’s Interim Decision
During the hearing, the Supreme Court clarified that the six MLAs removed as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries would not be reinstated. However, no disqualification action will be taken against them as MLAs at this stage.
This decision affects MLAs Sanjay Awasthi (Arki), Ram Kumar Chaudhary (Doon), Ashish Butel (Palampur), Mohan Lal Brakta (Rohru), Kishori Lal (Baijnath), and Sundar Singh Thakur (Kullu).
Background of the Parliamentary Secretary Act
The Himachal Pradesh Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary, Allowances, Powers, Privileges and Facilities) Act 2006, enacted during the Virbhadra Singh government, empowered the Chief Minister to appoint Parliamentary Secretaries. The Act detailed their roles, powers, salaries, and allowances and received the Governor’s approval in January 2007.
The case arose after petitions were filed by the state government and former CPS appointees. The next hearing in January will determine the future of these appointments and the Act’s validity.
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