The second Vidhan sabha Bhawan (after Shimla ),in tapovan Dharamsala may have longer winter session from next year onwards. The congress legislators of Kangra district are going tomake this request to the chief minister. The minister of food, civil supplies and consumer affair, G S Bali, who is the senior minister of the district kangra (which has 15 MLAs in the 68 member state assembly)said, “Now the time has arrived when we should request the CM to hold much longer winter sessions in the city. I am the strong supporter of this event in Dharamsala.” When asked that is it not a wastage of money to call administration and all other for just 6 days from Shimla to Dhartamsala, he reacted, “ the Kangra and its surrounding districts make the larger share of MLAs,is it not a wastage of money to call them to Shimla now and then? Dharamshala assembly is a gift of Vir Bhadra Singh to the people of area ,who also started the winter sojourn of the government to Dharamsala to give a feel of governance at their door steps. These are emotionally attached activities to the people of the area, which even BJP government could not dare to cease.”
Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the Government are held there.The new Vidhan Sabha Bhawan constructed at a cost of Rs. 7 crore at Sidhbari (Tapovan) near Dharamsala was inaugurated on 25th December as a New Year gift especially to the people of lower areas of the State. The people of lower areas are the direct beneficiaries of this institution. They are being benefited of an annual meeting of Vidhan Sabhas besides the winter sojourn of government. the first phase of Bhawan constructed in a record time of seven months, where the foundation stone of this Bhawan was laid on 14th February, 2006.Present Vidhan Sabha is the 12th Vidhan Sabha of Himachal Pradesh. For the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, Vidhan Sabha session was held outside the State Capital, Shimla at Dharamsala in Prayas Bhawan from 26th to 29th December, 2005 and just 2 years later in the new building from 26th to 29th December 2007. This provides opportunity to people of the area to get their grievances redressed at the earliest during the sessions.Kangra came under the direct control of the British Rule in 1846 which established Dharamsala, as a European cantonment in 1849 situated in the lap of majestic Dhauladhar ranges. It became the headquarters of Kangra district in March 1855. European pided Dharamsala into lower and upper parts; McLeodganj is known as the upper part of Dharamsala. Kangra was the largest district of composite Punjab till it was transferred to Himachal Pradesh in 1966 in the Re-organization of Punjab hill States into Himachal.