33 bills pending since budget session to be taken up, Govt too drafting its legislations
Jammu: Around 450 questions, 13 private members’ bills and 55 private members’ resolutions have been received by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat for brief nine days session with six sittings in Srinagar, beginning October 23.
Thirty three private members’ bills of budget session of the Legislature held in Jammu from March 3 to April 9 are also pending which will take total number of such bills to 46, officials told the Excelsior.
Two days each fixed for private members’ bills and resolutions during the budget session were washed out due to unprecedented protests by NC-Congress alliance and other MLAs over passage of Waqf bill in the Parliament.
After budget session adjourned sine die on April 9 without taking up the private members’ bills and resolutions, the Speaker had announced that the bills will be taken up in next session while the resolutions lapsed.
“Nearly 450 questions have been received but their numbers will be clear only after scrutiny as some questions are not admitted for listing in the House,” the officials said.
A number of resolutions have once again been received on restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir amidst reports that Omar Abdullah Government could also bring a similar resolution once again on its own.
A number of questions pertaining to budgetary expenditure, industrial investments, regularization of daily wagers, Panchayat elections, Durbar Move, land encroachments, recent flood damages, generation of Government jobs etc, have been submitted by the Legislators.
As per the Assembly Secretariat notification, the legislators were entitled to submit 10 questions each-five in starred and five in un-starred categories and one private members’ bill each till October 4 and two private members’ resolutions each till October 7.
However, there are very few MLAs who have submitted private members’ bills and resolution.
In the House of 90, there are two vacancies while six MLAs are Ministers including the Chief Minister. Lone AAP MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik is in the jail having been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
However, from among 80 MLAs, only 13 private members’ bills and 55 private members’ resolutions have been received.
In six sittings of nine days upcoming Assembly session, one day each has been reserved for private members’ bills and resolutions while three days have been fixed for the Government business.
Sources said the Government is also expected to bring some bills in the upcoming session. During budget session, the Government introduced only one bill pertaining to amendment in the GST which was passed by the House. But, with the Government due to complete one year in office next week, the legislative business is expected to be tabled in the House during the session.
The BJP, which is main opposition party with 28 MLAs is expected to corner the Government on a host of issues. The BJP will finalize the issues in its Legislature Party meeting ahead of the Assembly session.
This will be fourth session of the UT Legislative Assembly.
The first session was held in Srinagar last year from November 4-8. Budget session of the Legislature was held in Jammu this year from March 3 to April 9. A one-day special session of the Legislature was held on April 28 following April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians including 25 tourists and a local were killed.
The issues of restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, detention of AAP MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act, damages caused by floods are among the issues, besides others which may be taken up by different political parties in the Legislature.–(Daily Excelsior)
