Himachal HC declares appointment of six Congress MLAs as CPS void

The Himachal Pradesh high court on Wednesday termed the appointment of six Congress MLAs as chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu void.
The court directed the immediate withdrawal of all facilities to the six chief parliamentary secretaries.
The detailed order is awaited.
BJP leader Satpal Singh Satti and 11 of his party MLAs had filed a petition before the court, alleging that no such post of CPS exists under the Constitution or under any statute 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.
The petition stated that according to the 91st constitutional amendment, the number of ministerial berths was capped at 15% of the House strength. As per it, there are 12 ministers in the state in consonance with the constitutional amendment as the strength of the assembly is 68 in the state.
The petitioner contended that on January 8, 2023, the Sukhu-led Congress government appointed Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi, Kullu legislator Sundar Singh, Doon representative Ram Kumar, Rohru MLA Mohan Lal Bragta, his Palampur counterpart Ashish Butail and Baijnath legislator Kishori Lal as CPS against the mandate of the Constitution.
The government had defended the appointments by claiming that they were made in consonance with the provision in the state Act passed in this regard by the assembly.