JAMMU, Dec 26: The nine-member High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather set up recently for framing ‘Business Rules’ for the House will be taking up critical issues like approval of the Lieutenant Governor required for both Government and private members’ bills and resolutions and some other sensitive business.
The high-powered committee dominated by the National Conference-led Alliance with seven members and BJP with just two is proposed to finalize draft rules for running the Legislative Assembly before budget session for which no date has been finalized so far.
Besides jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry are the only other two UTs with Assembly.
Sources told the Excelsior that nine-member body will be facing an uphill task in taking a call on how the Government and private member’s bills and resolutions will be introduced in the Assembly and what will be fate of the bills if they are approved by the House.
‘‘The Rules Committee will have to tread cautiously as the Lieutenant Governors enjoyed immense powers in the UTs including approval to the bills, financial matters and various other issues which are deliberated in the Legislative Assembly,’’ they said.
Though the issue of questions pertaining to the Home Department mainly law and order situation will be deliberated upon by the Committee but the sources said it is almost clear that since control of Home and All India Services is with the Lieutenant Governor, such queries may not figure during the written replies for which one hour is fixed everyday in the House.
The issues to be raised by the MLAs through Call Attention Notices and Zero Hour are also subject matters of intense discussion for the Committee, the sources said, adding a lot has changed from 2018 (when last Assembly session was held in erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir) and 2025 when first budget session of J&K as the Union Territory will be held.
The nine-member Committee headed by Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather as ex-officio Chairman comprised three more NC MLAs and three from its Allies including one each from Congress and CPM and an Independent supporters of the party. From Opposition, there are only two members from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with three MLAs and People’s Conference and Awami Ittehad Party with one MLA each haven’t been included in the Panel.
So far, the first meeting of the high-level Committee hasn’t been fixed but it is scheduled to be held at the earliest. It will finalize draft rules well before start of the budget session of the Legislature. Though the date for start of session hasn’t been decided, it could begin by the February end.
As Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory and there are 51 new MLAs, the Legislative Assembly Speaker has also proposed a training session from eminent Parliamentarians shortly. The training is expected to be held in the month of January.
As per Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, the Legislative Assembly can hold the session as per existing Business Rules till new Rules are framed by the House. First session of the Assembly from November 4-8 was held in Srinagar as per the Rules in place.
The Panel to frame the new Rules has been set up under Rule 363 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly by the Speaker
The draft Business Rules finalized by the high-level Panel will be placed before the Legislative Assembly.
The framing of new ‘Business Rules’ for the House were necessitated after erstwhile State of jammu and Kashmir was divested of its special status under Article 370 and was divided into two Union Territories of J&K and ladakh .
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 was passed on August 5, 2019 by the Parliament in which among other subjects the Legislative Assembly was allowed to function on existing Rules till new ‘Business Rules’ are framed for running the House after the State was converted into the UT.
