Latest news with #Governor'sSecretariat
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Himachal Vidhan Sabha again clears without changes the Bill that Gov wanted tweaked
The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Tuesday rejected Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla's recommendations to make changes in the Agriculture, Horticulture & Forestry (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The House, instead, again cleared the Bill, which had earlier been returned by the Governor. The Bill will again be sent to the Governor for his assent. The amended Bill, originally passed by the Assembly on September 21, 2023, was introduced again by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar. Explaining the move, Kumar said, 'The amendment Bill was sent to the Governor for assent but was referred back with observations, including a suggestion to add Section 4(3)(1) of the Model Act for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions in India (Revised 2023).' He added that the Council of Ministers, in its meeting on July 29, 2024, decided to move a resolution for reconsideration and re-passage of the Bill. Governor Shukla had recommended amendments in line with the Union Government's Model Act, which would have empowered the Chancellor (Governor) to appoint Vice-Chancellors through a selection committee, with inputs from a nominee panel including experts from central institutions such as CSIR. By rejecting these proposals, the Assembly has retained the state government's control over the appointment process. The development comes days after the Himachal Pradesh High Court stayed advertisements issued by Raj Bhavan inviting applications for V-C posts at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, and CSK HP Agricultural University, Palampur. The state government had earlier withdrawn these notifications as 'beyond the Governor's legal competence,' but Raj Bhavan reinstated them and extended the deadlines, calling the withdrawal 'illegal and unconstitutional.' Governor Shukla has maintained that under the 1986 Universities Act, the Chancellor alone has authority to initiate VC appointments and is not bound by cabinet advice, citing Supreme Court precedents. On August 14, the standoff between the Himachal Pradesh government and the Raj Bhavan deepened, with the Governor's Secretariat declaring the state government's August 11 order to withdraw recruitment advertisements 'illegal and unconstitutional'. In an official communication issued later, the Raj Bhavan confirmed the process to appoint vice-chancellors for Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Palampur, and Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan, would 'continue as planned'. The deadline for submitting applications has now been extended up to 5 pm on August 18. According to the Raj Bhavan notification, the advertisements for the posts were originally issued by the Governor's Secretariat under statutory powers vested in the Chancellor by Section 24 of the Himachal Pradesh University of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986, as these positions have been lying vacant since August 21, 2023, and May 8, 2025, respectively, necessitating immediate appointments to ensure smooth functioning of the universities.
News18
12-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
Himachal govt withdraws advertisements for filling VCs posts of 2 varsities
Shimla, Aug 12 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government has withdrawn advertisements issued by the Governor's Secretariat for filling the posts of vice chancellors of two agriculture and horticulture universities, maintaining that they were not released by the competent authority and a draft amendment bill would be placed during the Monsoon session of the state Assembly. The notification issued on Monday said that the process for the selection of vice chancellors of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (CSKHPKV) in Palampur and Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry (UHF) in Nauni (Solan) was initiated by the Governor's Secretariat by issuing notification for constitution of a selection committee vide notification dated May 15 and June 21, and the secretary to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla further issued advertisement on July 21. The notification withdrawing the advertisements further said, 'During the discussion on Bill No. 14 of 2023 matter regarding issuing of advertisement emerged and it was decided to request the Governor Secretariat to withdraw it as the Notifications regarding constitution of Selection Committee are not in consonance with the provision of the Section 24 of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986 and the advertisement was not issued by the competent authority." The state agriculture minister also wrote to the Governor's Secretariat on July 26, stating that the Amendment Bill, 2023 was to be reconsidered by the Assembly during the Monsoon session and to continue with the selection process was not only illegal but also against the spirit of the Constitution. The Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by the state Assembly on September 21, 2023 and sent to the Raj Bhawan for the Governor's assent but the Governor returned the Draft Bill with the observation that it should be amended by inserting the Model Act for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions in India (Revised 2023) for constituting a selection committee. However, in response to the government's letter, the Governor's Secretariat said that the post of vice chancellor of CSKHPKV, Palampur was vacant since 2023 and UHF, Nauni from May, 2025, and the selection committee has been constituted 'strictly" according to the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, 1986 and advertisement had been issued to obtain the candidature and averred that the entire process is 'legal and justifiable as per Rules". PTI BPL KSS KSS view comments First Published: August 12, 2025, 19:30 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.
Express Tribune
24-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PA approves Rs156b supplementary budget amid uproar
The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday approved supplementary expenditures amounting to Rs156 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25, brushing aside 735 cut motions submitted by opposition lawmakers. The session, chaired by Speaker Syed Owais Qadir Shah, witnessed heated exchanges as opposition members demanded individual debate on each motion — a request ultimately denied by the chair. The supplementary budget, presented by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the finance portfolio, included allocations for the Governor's Secretariat, Provincial Assembly, and judicial expenses, among others. The CM tabled 84 supplementary demands for grants, which were passed by a majority vote after the opposition's motions were clubbed and rejected collectively. In his address, CM Shah detailed the breakdown of the expenditures: Rs5 billion for judicial (charged) expenses, Rs3 billion for the Sindh Assembly, over Rs1 billion for the Governor's House, and a significant Rs59 billion for debt servicing. He emphasized that judicial expenses are constitutionally protected and beyond the executive's control, while urging administrative departments to exercise fiscal restraint. Opposition Leader Ali Khursheedi criticized the consolidation of cut motions, arguing that the opposition had invested considerable effort in drafting them individually. However, the Speaker maintained procedural authority and moved forward with a collective vote.
