Jammu, Feb 4: Business Rules Committee of J&K Legislature Tuesday deliberated at length the draft rules of procedure, for conducting business in the J&K Legislative Assembly.
Draft rules are likely to be finalised during the next panel meeting, which may take place on February 11.
Sources privy to the meeting deliberations today stated, “The members discussed and deliberated on a preliminary draft as to what are necessary modifications and adaptations for proper and smooth working of earlier assembly rules of procedure. However, it has not been finalised yet. Therefore this draft will be discussed again on February 11, when the panel is likely to meet.”
“It’s hoped it will be done finally on February 11. Today’s meeting lasted around three hours or so as the modifications and adaptations were deliberated at length,” they said.
All members of the committee, except BJP MLA Pawan Gupta, attended the meeting. Gupta is among two BJP MLAs who are nominated members of this panel.
“The firm and consensus opinion of members revolved around minor modifications already deliberated during the meeting. However, they could not be finalised today as the agenda (draft rules) was not properly circulated among all the members of the committee. Some members were already having it, a couple of remaining members got it today, enabling all of them to consider and deliberate upon it effectively. That’s why it could not be finalised or approved today. It is hoped that it would be done in the next meeting,” sources reiterated.
“Yes, we all met today. One set of discussions has been held. Discussion is supposed to be carried on during the next meeting as and when it takes place as the date of meeting has not been officially fixed. It will probably take place on February 11. Hopefully we will be able to wind it up on that day,” stated BJP MLA, R S Pathania, one of the nominated members of the panel.
During its last meeting on January 7, the panel had proposed some minor suggestions for the effective functioning of the J&K Legislative Assembly.
Draft rules comprised certain modifications and adaptations in the existing rules like omitting reference to the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which does not exist; replacing reference to the Governor with the Lieutenant Governor.
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. Draft rules focussed on removing these anomalies.
Prior to today’s meeting, the Rules Committee, constituted to draft rules of procedure for conducting business in the J&K Legislative Assembly, already 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.
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.
