Jammu, Jan 31: Business Rules Committee of J&K Legislature will meet on February 4, 2025 to circulate draft (amended) rules of procedure, for conducting business in the J&K Legislative Assembly, among its members for approval.
“No draft rules have been prepared or finalised so far as it has been speculated. Discussion to finalise draft amendment and its circulation (among members) is expected to be on February 4 during the meeting or ahead of it,” BJP MLA R S Pathania, who is one among the members of committee, shared with Greater Kashmir.
“During the last meeting on January 7, we, as per our domain, had proposed some minor suggestions for the effective functioning of the J&K Legislative Assembly. Presumably the draft (rules) will be on that pattern only. If there is some deviation then it will call for further deliberations in the meeting,” he said.
Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Speaker J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather in his office chamber at LA complex, Jammu at 11 am.
This will be the third meeting of the committee. So far, the Rules Committee, constituted to draft rules of procedure for conducting business in the J&K Legislative Assembly, has met twice.
Nine-member panel was announced on December 24, 2024 by the Speaker, in exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 363 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Speaker is the ex-officio chairman of the committee.
Its maiden meeting was held on January 1, 2025. In its second meeting on January 7, 2025, it was decided that the committee would focus on removing anomalies in the existing rules in the first instance as framing new rules remained the exclusive domain of the Lieutenant Governor.
Sources maintain that the (Rules) Committee’s domain is only to do certain modifications and adaptations in the existing rules as rule-making power is the exclusive domain of the Lieutenant Governor in consultation with the Speaker, as per law.
Minor adaptations or modifications will be like – there is reference to the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which does not exist; there is reference to the Governor, again this does not exist. Similarly, there are references to the Joint Select Committee, but J&K has now a unicameral House and not bicameral House. So there can be no Joint Select Committee. There cannot be a joint session of the House also, so the Rules Committee will focus on removing these anomalies.
Besides Speaker, other eight MLAs, nominated as panel’s members, include former Speaker Mubarik Gul (NC); Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M); Saifullah Mir (NC); Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (Congress); Pawan Kumar Gupta (BJP), Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Ranbir Singh Pathania (BJP) and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, (independent).
Committee has been asked to finalise the draft Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, prior to the commencement of the ensuing Budget session, scheduled to begin from March 3, 2025.
Sources have pointed out that the ensuing budget session is likely to be a shorter one.
As per tentative schedule, it may last till March 21; with the last two days reserved for resolutions and private members’ bills.
Final schedule is to be approved by the Business Advisory Committee.
