Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: Budget session of the State Legislature will start from February 28 and last till first week of April.
A notification by the Governor on summoning both Houses of Legislature was expected to be issued in the next couple of days.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State Government has sent a resolution to the Governor House for summoning budget session of the Legislature on February 28. The Governor had to issue notification a month in advance from the date of the session i.e. the Raj Bhawan had to issue notification summoning Joint Session of the Legislature before January 28.
However, according to sources, the Raj Bhawan might issue the notification in the next couple of days as January 25-27 were holidays.
Sources said Governor NN Vohra would address joint session of Legislature on February 28 either to Zorawar Singh auditorium in Jammu University or Police Auditorium at Police Headquarters since Central Hall of Legislature had been declared as unsafe after collapse/cracks in parts of the Legislature building.
The Government would take a decision on Joint Session of Legislature at Zorawar Singh Auditorium or Police Auditorium in next few days and convey it to the Raj Bhawan.
Initially, Zorawar Singh Auditorium had been picked for the Governor’s Address but, sources said, it had been pointed out by some experts that it was too big 123 members of the two Houses. Compared to it, Police Auditorium was compact.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would shortly take a call on the venue of the Governor’s Address, sources said.
They added that since the budget session was starting at least one week late as compared to last year when it had begun on February 22, it could last till April 5 to 7 as it would have minimum 25 to 26 sittings.
The budget session last year had ended on April 1 but this year it could last till April 5 or 7.
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather was likely to present budget for next financial year of 2013-14 in first or second week of March but the budget had to be passed before March 31 to fulfill Constitutional requirement. Sources said the Government would take private member’s resolutions and private member’s bills, for which four days had to be reserved in the budget session, after the passing of the budget.
This would be done to ensure that the budget was passed before March 31 i.e. the end of current financial year.
According to sources, the Legislative Assembly and Council Secretariats would issue detailed calendar of budget session after the Governor issued notification summoning the two Houses.
Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra would issue the calendar for the Upper House while Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni would finalise the calendar for the Lower House in the absence of the Speaker.
It may be mentioned here that former Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone had been inducted into the Council of Ministry and made Higher Education Minister on January 15. The election of new Speaker would be held on first or second day of the budget session. NC leader and former Advisor to Chief Minister Mubarak Gul would be elected as new Speaker.
The Government had to give notice to the Deputy Speaker for the election of Speaker. If the opposition didn’t field any candidate, Mr Gul would be elected unanimously as the new Speaker.
Sources said the repair work on damaged portion of the Assembly was in full swing. If the work was completed in time, the Assembly would run at its original place. The premises of Legislative Council was safe. Earlier, there had been proposal for running the Assembly in make shift complex of Central Hall of Legislature.
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