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Himachal Assembly met more than National average, but 70% of Budget passed without debate: PRS
Shimla, June 6,
The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha met more frequently than most state legislatures in the country during 2025, but more than 70 per cent of the state’s annual budget was passed without discussion, according to a new report released by the Delhi-based research organisation PRS Legislative Research.
PRS, a non-profit and non-partisan institution that provides research support to Members of Parliament and State Legislatures, has been tracking the functioning of Parliament and State Assemblies for the past two decades. Its latest report analyses the functioning of legislatures across the country during 2025, including sitting days, lawmaking and budget scrutiny.
According to the report, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly met for 35 days during the year, exactly matching the minimum number of sitting days prescribed under the Assembly’s own rules. This was significantly higher than the national average of 24 sitting days for state legislatures.
Among the states, Odisha recorded the highest number of Assembly sittings at 43 days, while Nagaland met for only seven days. An average sitting of the Himachal Assembly lasted about five hours.
The report shows that the Assembly passed 21 Bills during the year. Of these, nearly 57 per cent were passed within a day of their introduction, while only four per cent were referred to committees for detailed examination before being approved.
The findings also indicate delays in the process of granting assent to legislation. About half of the Bills passed by the Himachal Pradesh Assembly took more than three months to receive assent, a trend observed only in Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand among the states studied.
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Several significant laws were enacted by the Assembly during the year. These included legislation defining organised crime and prescribing stringent punishments, including life imprisonment in serious cases. The House also passed a law aimed at protecting public utilities by preventing individuals and companies from altering roads, paths, canals and other public infrastructure in ways that could adversely affect public interest.
The Assembly amended the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, expanding Panchayat jurisdiction, revising Gram Sabha procedures and introducing measures intended to strengthen electoral accountability.
Other notable legislations included a law to curb unfair means in public examinations and another aimed at preventing drug abuse while providing rehabilitation mechanisms for affected individuals.
The report further notes that Himachal Pradesh was among 13 states that amended their Shops and Establishments laws during 2025. The amendments permit women employees to work night shifts subject to specified safeguards and increase the permissible limit for overtime work.
On financial oversight, the report presents a mixed picture. While the Himachal Pradesh Assembly spent seven days discussing the annual budget, close to the national average of eight days, more than 70 per cent of the state’s budgetary expenditure was approved without discussion.
Only Assam and Jharkhand recorded similar levels of budget approval without debate. In contrast, the Tamil Nadu Assembly discussed the entire budget before passing it.
The report suggests that while Himachal Pradesh maintained a comparatively active legislative calendar and enacted several important laws during the year, concerns remain regarding the limited scrutiny of legislation through committees and the relatively low level of discussion devoted to public expenditure before budget approval.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
