The Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, announced that “Zero Hour” will be introduced in the Assembly starting Wednesday during the ongoing monsoon session.
This period, lasting half an hour, was unanimously agreed upon to address matters of urgent public importance exclusively. The Speaker emphasized that Zero Hour should not be used for trivial issues but rather for pressing concerns requiring immediate attention.
“If an issue is brought forward that pertains to a specific constituency, it can be discussed during this period,” said the Speaker. “However, only those topics of utmost importance, which could not be addressed under any other motion or rule, will be allowed to be raised.”
He further explained that this new provision allows important issues to be discussed without the usual time constraints. “During Zero Hour, such issues can be raised, and the concerned ministry is expected to take cognizance and provide a report. The government will then provide an official response from the ministry,” he noted.
This is the first time Zero Hour is being introduced in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. “We will see how it unfolds tomorrow. In the Upper House and other assemblies across the country, there is a provision for Zero Hour or a similar mechanism. Whether the issue raised is of public importance will be determined by the Speaker. In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker has the authority to allow or disallow matters during Zero Hour,” the Speaker said.
“During live sessions, issues of public importance will be permitted to be raised, and whether these issues are significant enough will be decided by the Speaker,” he added.
