Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 28: Governor NN Vohra today summoned both Houses of the Legislature for joint session on February 28 at Central Hall of Legislature. Mr Vohra would address the joint session of Legislative Assembly and Council at 10.30 am after which both Houses would meet separately.
The State Cabinet had on January 22 approved the proposal of starting budget session on February 28 with Governor’s Address, which had been reported by the Excelsior.
The Governor today accepted proposal of the State Cabinet and issued notification summoning both Houses of the Legislature for his Address on February 28.
The Governor would address joint session at the Central Hall of Legislature.
Official sources said the Central Hall has been declared as safe by the engineering experts of the State as well as New Delhi for holding the Governor’s Address. Therefore, the alternate accommodation available before the Government were not discussed.
The Legislative Assembly and the Council would meet at their respective premises. While the Council premises was already safe, the experts have assured the Government and the Assembly Secretariat that the Assembly premises would also be safe after damaged portion and cracks were repaired.
The repair work was apace and would be completed well ahead of the start of the budget session.
Sources said the tentative calendars of budget session would be issued by Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra for the Upper House and Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni for the Lower House in consultations with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir.
The budget session was expected to last till first week of April with 25 to 26 sittings. However, the Government had to pass the budget before March 30 in the Assembly so that it gets Upper House nod on March 31 before the conclusion of current financial year. Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather was likely to present budget in first or second week of March in the Legislative Assembly.
Sources said the election of new Speaker could take place either on first or second day of the budget session. The Government had to give notice for election of the Speaker in the Assembly. If the Opposition decided to field its candidate, the election would be held for the post of Speaker. Otherwise, the ruling Alliance candidate would be unanimously elected as the Speaker.
The National Conference had decided to field its veteran leader and three consecutive times MLA from Iddgah, Mubarak Gul for the post of Speaker. Mr Gul had few days back resigned as Advisor to the Chief Minister.
Mr Gul would replace Mohammad Akbar Lone, who had been inducted in the Cabinet as Higher Education Minister.
This year the budget session is getting late by about a week. Last year, the session had started on February 22. Sources said the session this year was delayed in view of repair work in the Legislative Assembly building.
Sources said there would be no curtailment in working days of the session despite delayed start. As usual, there would be 25 to 26 sittings of the budget session and almost all Departments would be debated after presentation of the budget.
Meanwhile, Legislative Assembly Secretary Mohammad Ramzan today urged the MLAs to submit 10 questions each in starred and 10 in un-starred category by February 7. He has also urged them to submit five private member’s bills and four Resolutions by or before February 13.
The starred questions are debated during Question Hour in the Assembly while only written replies are given by the Government to the MLAs for un-starred questions.
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