JAMMU, Feb 6: First budget session of Omar Abdullah Government is expected to last around a month in which full time will be given to the legislators for debate on LG’s address, budgets, grants of Ministries and private member’s bills and resolutions. Though J&K being a Union Territory now, there will be full Question Hour, Zero Hour and Call Attention Notices and no business will be cut.The session will start on March 3 with address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to the Legislature.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather told the Excelsior that he is giving final touches to the calendar and will release it in next two to three days. When the session is convened, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will be set up which can suggest any changes in the business schedule, he said.
The Speaker is expected to give full time to the Government as well as Opposition. The legislators will get adequate time for introduction of bills and resolutions besides debate, questions and other issues etc. The budget session will last around a month.
As holy month of Ramzan is also falling in March, the Assembly is expected to have mostly single sittings.
The UTs normally have very small Assembly sessions. As per a report, outgoing Delhi Assembly met only for 74 days in five years with sessions lasting seven-eight days. This, however, is first budget session of the Legislature after J&K became a UT and second after formation of Omar Abdullah Government. The first session lasted just five days in November last year.
Sources said the legislators will have full Question Hour and Zero Hour and can also list Call Attention Notices. Days will be fixed separately for private member’s resolutions and bills. Besides, days will be reserved for the Government business.
The Assembly will have enough days for discussion on Motion of Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s Address, budget and demands for grants of all Ministers.
However, there are only six Ministers in jammu and Kashmir including the Chief Minister as compared to 25 when J&K was a State. As a UT, J&K can have nine Ministers (10 percent of total strength of the Legislative Assembly which is 90 at present as five MLAs are yet to be nominated). There are three vacancies in the Council of Ministry.
