Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 28: Entire business of the Legislative Assembly including bills, resolutions and questions, which the Assembly Secretariat had received before it was placed under suspended animation by Governor NN Vohra on January 8, has lapsed and will be treated as null and void.
“The entire business has now ceased to exist. It will not be taken into account whenever the Assembly meets again after formation of the new Government. When the Assembly is called again, new business will be invited from the legislators,” official sources told the Excelsior.
They said initially, the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, which keeps record of entire business for all sessions, had decided to treat the business received by them from Government and 63 MLAs as intact whenever the session was called after formation of new Government. However, it has now decided that due to delay in formation of new Government, which would further push the Legislature session ahead, entire business would stand cancelled.
According to sources, the cancellation of entire previous business of Government as well as MLAs was necessitated not only due to delay in formation of the new Government but also keeping in view the fact that the new Government could have different set up like change in the Ministers.
“The Ministers and MLAs could swap places. In such a situation, the Legislative Assembly Secretariat has no option but to call entire business afresh whenever the new Government is formed and the Assembly is restored from suspended animation,”’ they said.
When contacted for comments, Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta confirmed lapse of entire previous business saying “we will call entire business afresh whenever the Legislature session is called by the new Government”.
“Entire business-whether it has been submitted by the Government or given by the MLAs-has been declared as null and void,’” he said.
The Governor had placed the Assembly under suspended animation on January 8 after imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State following death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
However, by then, the Assembly had completed all formalities for budget session, which was scheduled to begin on January 18 including inviting of questions, resolutions and bills from the MLAs.
The Assembly has received 1169 questions, 86 private member’s resolutions and 17 private member’s bills for the budget session from 63 MLAs.
The previous Cabinet headed by late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had decided to call budget session of the Legislature from January 18 after which the Assembly Secretariat had issued 52 days long calendar for the budget with record 36 sittings.
The Legislative Assembly had completed all formalities for the budget session, which had to start on January 18 with Governor NN Vohra’s Address to joint session of the Legislature. Former Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu was scheduled to present budget on January 22.
A total of 63 MLAs had submitted 1169 questions for budget session of the Assembly, which included 624 starred and 545 un-starred questions.
While starred questions are debated during Question Hour of the Assembly and any MLA can raise supplementary to the question with permission of the Speaker, the MLAs get only written reply to the un-starred questions.
In addition to questions, the Assembly Secretariat had received 86 private member’s resolutions and 17 private member’s bills from the MLAs.
The MLAs were entitled to submit 20 questions each-10 in starred category and 10 in un-starred category. Only MLAs can submit the questions, resolutions and bills while those holding official positions like Ministers, Presiding Officers (Speaker and Deputy Speaker) and the MLAs having rank of the Minister in different capacities can’t ask the questions.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel