CPS case: HP High Court defers hearing to May 30
Legal Correspondent
Shimla, May 27
The HP High Court today deferred the hearing on a petition challenging the appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) to May 30.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Bipin Chander Negi, which is hearing the matter on a day-to-day basis, listed the matter for May 30 after hearing the counsel for the petitioners.
BJP leader Satpal Singh Satti and 11 other BJP MLAs had filed a petition alleging that no such post of CPS exists under the Constitution or under any statue or Act passed by parliament.
It was contended in the petition that the appointment to the posts of CPS is a burden on the state exchequer. It was further averred that the 91st Constitutional Amendment had capped the number of ministerial berths to 15% of the House strength and as per this, there are 12 ministers in the state in consonance of the Constitutional Amendment as the strength of the Assembly is 68.
The petitioners had contended in that the government has appointed six CPSs — Sanjay Awasthi from Arki Assembly constituency, Sundar Singh from Kullu, Ram Kumar from Doon, Mohan Lal Barakta from Rohru, Ashish Butail from Palampur and Kishori Lal from Baijnath — against the mandate of the Constitution.
