North News
New Delhi, November 22
In a significant relief to the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the disqualification of six Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) appointed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. This decision overrules the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s ruling, which had declared the appointment of these officials as unconstitutional.
The CPSs who benefit from the Supreme Court’s order include Kishori Lal (Baijnath), Mohan Lal Brakta (Rampur), Ram Kumar (Doon), Ashish Butail (Palampur), Sunder Thakur (Kullu), and Sanjay Awashty (Arki). The High Court had earlier passed its order after petitions from 11 BJP legislators and a public interest litigation filed by Kalpana Devi challenged the appointments.
On January 8, 2023, Chief Minister Sukhu had appointed these six CPSs, but the High Court declared the appointments unconstitutional, ordering their removal and revocation of all associated benefits. The judgment also annulled the legislative Act that allowed the appointments. The matter is now under further review by the Supreme Court.
