Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday informed the State Assembly that there was no move to appoint his deputy.
As the question hour began on Tuesday, BJP member Rikhi Ram Kaundal referred to a news report that said there was a possibility of appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister.
Following this, Speaker BBl Butail said the question could not be allowed and asked Kaundal to take up the question mentioned in his name.
Virbhadra Singh then intervened saying that the news report was false and planted and there was no truth in it.
BJP members kept raising the issue and shouted slogans against the government, disrupting the question hour. later, they staged a walkout from the house.
The proceedings of the house went on in the absence of BJP members. After the question hour, the BJP members joined the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Tax on Entry of Goods into local Area (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was introduced in the house a day earlier, was passed without any discussion as the opposition BJP members at that time were protesting on another issue.
Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary said the bill includes provisions to tax as it was providing uneven playing field for local businessmen and also causing revenue loss to the Government.
A clause has been inserted in the bill providing for levying of tax on e-commerce.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3, tax shall be levied on entry of goods specified in schedule II, made through online purchase or transactions or through e-commerce. The tax shall be levied on the value of goods in the manner prescribed and shall be collected from person in-charge of the goods on behalf of the importer,” says the clause.