Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 4: The autumn session of the Legislature would have only seven sittings and conclude in just 10 days. The Legislative Assembly Secretariat today notified calendar for the session after getting approval from Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone.
Excelsior had earlier exclusively reported that the Legislature session would be of a week’s duration.
Mr Lone told the Excelsior that the Assembly session would last 10 days from October 1-10 and have seven working days. Of seven sittings, five have been reserved for Government business while two days have been scheduled for private member’s bills and resolutions.
The session is being held in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State.
The calendar issued by the Assembly Secretariat has reserved October 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 for Government business, October 5 for private member’s resolutions and October 9 for private member’s bills.
October 2, 6 and 7 have been kept as off days on account of Gandhi Jayanti, Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The Speaker, however, asserted that the working days could be extended if there was an urgency or requirement to discuss the issues of important nature. Otherwise, he said, seven sittings were enough in the autumn session.
Mr Lone had already made it clear that the upcoming Legislature session would be a brief one with seven sittings and lasting 10 days.
Governor NN Vohra had on September 2 summoned session of the Legislature on October 1 following a resolution sent to him by the State Cabinet on August 30 for calling the session.
Mr Lone said he would be meeting leaders of all political parties having representation in the Assembly and Independent MLAs on September 25 ahead of the session to seek their cooperation.
“I will be meeting leaders of all political parties on September 25 to seek their support for smooth session of the Legislature so that problems of the people’s were debated in the House and important issues taken up and discussed’’, the Speaker said, adding he was expecting cooperation of all parties including the opposition to run the brief session.
Security review for the session would be held on September 24.
Mr Lone said a notification has been issued urging all MLAs to submit five questions each in starred and un-starred categories. While starred questions are replied by the Ministers and debated during Question Hour in the Assembly, the MLAs get only written replies for the un-starred questions.
The Assembly has also asked the MLAs to submit two private member’s bills and two private member’s resolutions each.
The Government had to convene the Legislature session before October 4 as, according to the Constitution, the House shall meet at least once in six months. Budget session of the Legislature had adjourned on April 4.
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