HP: Nominations for Assembly Speaker's post can be filed by Feb 25

Nomination papers for the post of Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker may be filed till 12 noon on the first day of the budget session on February 25, deputy speaker Hans Raj said on Wednesday.

Talking to media during the meeting of press gallery committee here, Hans Raj said that if required, the election for the new Speaker's post will be held on February 26.

The post is lying vacant since January 16 when House Speaker Rajeev Bindal submitted his resignation to the Deputy Speaker. Two days later, Bindal was elected as the state BJP president.

Hans Raj said the budget session would begin on February 25 and will culminate on April 1.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who also holds the finance department portfolio, will present the budget on March 6 for financial year 2020-21, he added.

There will be 22 sittings during the session which will begin with the address by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, he said.

Discussion on the budget will be held from March 9-14 and it will be passed on March 27.

There will be a recess from March 15 to 22, the deputy speaker said.