Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 14: The Legislative Assembly Secretariat has set December 20 deadline for all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to submit questions, private member’s bills and resolutions for budget session of the Assembly, beginning January 2 with address of Governor NN Vohra to joint session of the Legislature.
Each MLA is entitled to submit 20 questions-10 each in starred and un-starred categories.
Legislative Assembly Secretary Mohammad Ramzan told the Excelsior that the schedule for calling questions, private member’s bills and resolutions was issued today as they had already secured permission from Speaker Kavinder Gupta, who is abroad.
However, he said, calendar for budget session of the Assembly will be issued after return of the Speaker on December 18.
“As it was budget session, it would last about a month,” official sources said, adding detailed schedule of the session including date for presentation of budget by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu, reply to Governor Address debate by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and debate on budget of the Ministries would be issued in the provisional calendar to be issued by the Speaker anytime after his return on December 18.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Secretariat today sought 20 questions each from all MLAs by December 20.
“Each MLA can submit not more than 10 questions each in starred and un-starred category to the Assembly Secretariat by December 20,” they said. The starred questions are debated during Question Hour of the Assembly while the MLAs get only written replies to the un-starred questions from the concerned Ministers.
The MLAs can also send not more than two private member’s bills and not more than four private member’s resolutions to the Assembly Secretariat by December 20. Two days each will be reserved in the Assembly for debate on private member’s bills and private member’s resolutions, as per the standard procedures.
Sources said only 66 MLAs are entitled to submit questions, private member’s bills and resolutions in the House of 89 (87 elected MLAs and two nominated women members). Of 23 members Council of Ministry headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, 21 are MLAs. Two members of Assembly are Presiding Officers while two others have the status of Ministers in their capacity as chairpersons of the Boards/Corporations.
“The Ministers, Presiding Officers and the MLAs holding Government offices with the status of Minister can neither submit questions nor private member’s resolutions and bills in the Assembly as they are taken as part of the Government,” sources said.
The Legislative Assembly Secretariat is expecting about 1200 to 1300 questions for the budget session in starred and un-starred categories.
The budget session of the Legislature has been advanced this year as the Assembly had to meet once in six months. The budget session this year had concluded on June 30 (Assembly) and July 2 (Council). Therefore, sitting of the Legislature had become a necessity on or before January 2 as no session was held after July 2.
Generally, a small session of the Legislature is held in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, in September-October after the budget session. However, this year, the autumn session couldn’t be held in the Kashmir Valley in view of unrest in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani.
This year, the budget session had been called for January 18 but it had to be cancelled following the death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. The next Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti was formed on April 4 and the budget session was held in Srinagar in the month of June.
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