DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s Legislative Assembly has met for fewer days with each successive government, raising concerns about the time available for legislators to debate public issues and hold the executive accountable.
The fifth Assembly’s final session concluded on Wednesday. Figures for the five Assemblies show that the House sat for 105 days during the 2007-12 term, the highest total. In the current term, which began in 2022, it has met for 45 days, averaging nine days a year.
The first Assembly, from 2002 to 2007, sat for 83 days, averaging 16.6 days annually. The average fell to 14.4 days in 2012-17 and 12.2 days in 2017-22.
The fifth Assembly met for eight days in 2022, 10 days each in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and seven days in 2026. Its sittings included budget, monsoon and supplementary budget sessions, as well as a special session on the Uniform Civil Code in 2024.
The figures are below the 60 sitting days a year prescribed under the Assembly’s rules, raising questions about whether legislators have enough time to scrutinise legislation, discuss constituency issues and examine government decisions.
A separate analysis by Dehradun-based SDC Foundation, based on annual reports by PRS Legislative Research, also highlighted Uttarakhand’s limited legislative activity. Its factsheet, “Comparative Performance of Uttarakhand Assembly: Gaps and Challenges”, said the House sat for 10 days in 2024, compared with an average of 20 days across the legislatures assessed.
Odisha recorded 42 sitting days, followed by Keralam's with 38 and West Bengal with 36. Uttarakhand, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh were among the states at the lower end. The Uttarakhand Assembly recorded 60 sitting hours in 2024, ranking 22nd among the 28 states assessed, the report said.
Between 2017 and 2024, Uttarakhand’s Assembly met for an average of 12 days a year, compared with 44 days in Kerala and 40 in Odisha, the analysis found.
“It is a matter of deep concern that both the frequency and duration of the Uttarakhand Assembly sessions are among the lowest in the country,” SDC Foundation founder Anoop Nautiyal said.
“The soul of democracy lies in accountability, and when our government and representatives meet barely a few days a year, it signals a severe crisis in governance and democratic responsibility,” he said.
As Uttarakhand approaches 26 years since its formation, the declining number of sitting days has brought the Assembly’s role in democratic oversight into focus. While the number of sittings alone does not determine the quality of debate or legislation, limited time in the House can reduce opportunities for scrutiny and public-interest discussion.
Across the five Assemblies, the House sat for 83 days in 2002-07, 105 in 2007-12, 72 in 2012-17, 61 in 2017-22 and 45 in 2022-26.