logo
Council Chamber that houses Himachal Assembly completes 100 years

Council Chamber that houses Himachal Assembly completes 100 years

News18a day ago
Agency:
Shimla, Aug 20 (PTI) The Council Chamber, presently housing the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, completed 100 years on Wednesday.
Congratulating the members of the Himachal Assembly, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said the building was dedicated by the then Viceroy, Lord Reading, on August 20, 1925.
It was constructed at a cost of Rs 8.5 lakh, he was quoted as saying in a statement.
Pathania said the building was a specimen of unique architecture and one of the last building constructed during the British government.
'The Central Assembly functioned from this building and voices of stalwarts like Vithal Bhai Patel and Moti Lal Nehru echoed in the building which was witness to decisive moments of our legislative history," he said adding that the first session of Himachal assembly was held here on October 1, 1963.
view comments
First Published:
August 20, 2025, 22:45 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments...
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Court cannot have blinkered vision for paltry remuneration': Gujarat HC orders increased pay for Anganwadi workers, helpers
‘Court cannot have blinkered vision for paltry remuneration': Gujarat HC orders increased pay for Anganwadi workers, helpers

Indian Express

time24 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘Court cannot have blinkered vision for paltry remuneration': Gujarat HC orders increased pay for Anganwadi workers, helpers

Stating that the duties and obligations of Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) are 'onerous' and 'influence the lowest strata of the social fabric', the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday modified and partially reversed a 2024 single-judge order of the HC that had ruled that the AWWs and AWHs should be treated similar to the regularly selected permanent employees holding civil posts in the State or Central Government. In its order, Division bench of Justice AS Supehia and Justice RT Vachhani on Wednesday directed the State government departments to, jointly or exclusively, pay the minimum monthly wages of Rs 14,800 over and above of Rs 10,000 to the AWWs, which is a total of Rs 24,800. The sum is less than the fixed pay of Mukhiya Sevika (of Rs 40,800). Correspondingly, the AWHs shall also be paid the minimum wages of Rs 14, 800, in addition to Rs, 5,500, making a total of Rs 20,300, the court order said. The court has ordered that the AWWs and AWHs should be paid the arrears from the Financial Year that commenced in April 2025, within 'six months from the receipt of the high court order'. Stating that the directions would apply to all AWWs and AWHs working in all Anganwadi Centres across the state, without necessitating fresh petitions before the court, the HC said that the principle of 'equal pay and equal work' cannot be applied to AWWs and AWHs or be compared to any other Class-III or Class-IV employees. The court order stated, 'The onerous and arduous duties and obligations involving pregnant and lactating women and minors, which is unmatched to the duties of other part-time employees… There is also a huge difference between the onerous duties rendered by the AWWs and AWHs and the part-timers employed by other State Departments.' The court said, 'The duties and obligations of AWWs and AWHs influence the lowest strata of social fabric, and their duties cannot be compared to the duties rendered by other part timers engaged for six hours by the State Departments, for whom the policy of minimum wages of paying Rs 14,800 is implemented vide circular dated July 16, 2019. The amount of Rs.14,800 in the said Circular, is fixed from January 1, 2019, considering the minimum wages payable to Class-IV employees.' The court stated that as per the directions of the Supreme Court in the case of Maniben (supra), the AWWs and AWHs were declared to be holding statutory posts. '… the direction issued by the learned Single Judge to treat them at par with regularly selected permanent employees holding posts either in the Central Government or State Government is fallible, since there is fundamental difference in their source of recruitment. There is also a vast difference in their mode and manner of recruitment, requisite educational qualifications etc…,' said the court. The court order further said, 'The AWWs and AWHs, though can be said to be holding statutory posts, and their appointments are neither illegal nor irregular, they still have to satisfy the mandate of the Gujarat Civil Services Classification and Recruitment (General) Rules, 1967, more particularly Rule 4 and Rule 9 thereof. The AWWs cannot be treated at par with Subordinate Service of Class-III. Similarly, AWHs cannot be considered at par with Inferior Service of Class-IV. Class-III and Class-IV employees in the State Government Departments, after undergoing the recruitment process as prescribed under Rules 9 by the respective departments, are placed in particular pay scales.' The court also noted that despite the top court order on the subject of wages, anganwadi workers and helpers are not being paid minimum wages. Referring to an affidavit of July 18, 2025, in which the state had showed the data of the entire state, the court order said, 'On a perusal of the same, we did not find any increase in the wages of the AWWs and AWHs and their plight remains inexorable, hence, this Court cannot have blinkered vision for the paltry remuneration paid to them.'

HP: Enraged over Rs 6.78 lakh inflated power bill, Cong MLA Bali seeks enquiry
HP: Enraged over Rs 6.78 lakh inflated power bill, Cong MLA Bali seeks enquiry

News18

time24 minutes ago

  • News18

HP: Enraged over Rs 6.78 lakh inflated power bill, Cong MLA Bali seeks enquiry

Last Updated: Shimla, Aug 21 (PTI) Congress MLA R S Bali on Thursday took strong exception to an inflated electricity bill of Rs 6.78 lakh issued to him and sought an enquiry into the matter to ascertain whether it was an error or a conspiracy. When the matter was raised in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly during Zero Hour, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu clarified that arrears have been added to electricity bills, but said the invoice has mistakenly shown the figure as Rs 6.48 lakh instead of Rs 2.98 lakh. Sukhu said even the power bill of his official residence, Oak Over, in Shimla was shown as Rs 3.76 instead of the correct figure of Rs 1.43 lakhs. Action will be taken against officials if it is found that the bills were inflated deliberately, he said. Addressing a press conference in the assembly complex here, Bali said the data about the electricity bills was placed in the state assembly and is a part of the proceedings. The data was furnished in reply to a question of MLA Sudhir Sharma and was later published in newspapers. Bali, who is also the chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, said Sharma had sought 14 months of electricity bills for the residences of 10 Congress leaders, including the chief minister, his deputy, ministers and himself, all occupying government residences. 'In the reply, the bill for my official residence, 9A Grand Lodge, was shown as Rs 6.78 lakh, and this became part of the Assembly record," he said. The MLA said an analysis of the bill found that it was inflated. Bali also said that he moved into the residence in July 2023, but the bill was issued from January 2023. 'But when I asked for the details from January 2023 to July 2025, my actual bill for 32 months came to Rs 2,98,308, much less than the issued bill of Rs 6.78 lakh," he said. PTI BPL NSD NSD view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...

Delhi CM to resume official engagements from Friday
Delhi CM to resume official engagements from Friday

News18

time24 minutes ago

  • News18

Delhi CM to resume official engagements from Friday

Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who was confined to her residence after the attack on her, is likely to resume her official engagements from Friday, officials said. Gupta, who has been staying in her official residence in Civil Lines since the attack on Wednesday morning, is also likely to return to her office at the Delhi Secretariat, the officials added further. The chief minister was assaulted by a 41-year-old man from Rajkot, identified as Rajeshbhai Khimji, during a 'Jan Sunwai' session at her camp office. The accused was arrested, and a case under various charges, including attempt to murder, was registered against him. The officials at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated that Gupta will attend an event, 'Vastrika', at the garment hub of Delhi, Gandhi Nagar, at 11.30 am on Friday. She will also attend the grand finale of 'Ideathon', an event by the industries department, at the Ashok Hotel in Chanakyapuri at 4 pm, they added. Earlier in the day, Gupta asserted that her 'Jan Sunwai' programme will be held in every assembly constituency and will not be restricted to her residence only. Stressing that every moment of her life is dedicated to Delhi, she said, 'Despite all these unexpected blows, I will never abandon Delhi." Recalling her father's teachings, she noted that women possess double the strength to overcome difficulties and must endure countless tests to prove themselves. 'I am ready too," she emphasised. PTI VIT MPL MPL PTI) view comments First Published: August 22, 2025, 00:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store