New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear the Himachal Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) case today. The state government has challenged the High Court’s decision declaring the appointment of CPS unconstitutional in the apex court.
In fact, on November 13 last year, the High Court declared the appointment of CPS unconstitutional by canceling the Himachal Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary, Allowances, Powers, Privileges and Facilities) Act, 2006. After these orders of the High Court, all CPS have been removed from the post. After the court’s orders, facilities like cars, offices and staff were withdrawn from them.
Now the Supreme Court has linked the CPS case of Himachal with the cases of Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and West Bengal. The CPS cases of these states are also already pending in the court. At the same time, notice has been issued to the petitioners taking the CPS case to the High Court and a reply has been sought on the government’s petition within 2 weeks.
In the last hearing, Advocate Kapil Sibal told the court on behalf of the state government, that the High Court was not authorized to cancel the law. On the other hand, the Himachal government repeatedly argued in the High Court that the CPS Act of Himachal is different from Assam. But the High Court declared it unconstitutional and canceled it.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu had made MLA Sanjay Awasthi from Arki, Kishori Lal from Baijnath, Mohan Lal Brakta from Rohru, Ashish Butail from Palampur, Ram Kumar Chaudhary from Doon and Sundar Singh Thakur from Kullu as CPS. All of them were attached to different ministers. However, they did not have the power to sign the file but they were getting facilities almost like ministers.