Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 20: While the MLAs have nearly utilized their quota of questions for budget session of the Assembly, they have only submitted 27 Private Member’s Bills as against their quota of 315, fixed by the Assembly Speaker though making legislations is considered to be the prime task of the Legislature.
Official data released by Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta said a total of 63 MLAs were eligible to submit questions, Private Member’s Bills and Private Member’s Resolutions for 37-day long budget session of the Assembly, beginning May 25 and lasting till June 30.
After the expiry of deadline for submission of questions, bills and resolutions by the MLAs, the Assembly Secretariat has received 27 Private Member’s Bills only. As there are 63 MLAs in the Lower House, excepting Ministers, Presiding Officers and those with Ministerial rank, the legislators were entitled to submit 315 Private Member’s Bills as the Assembly Secretariat had invited five bills from each MLA.
“The receipt of 27 Private Member’s Bills only as against the maximum limit of 315 speaks the volumes,’’ official sources said.
However, there were 14 Private Member’s Bills, which were pending from the last Assembly session, held in Srinagar in October. Two other Private Member’s Bills were at the stage of consideration and passing. All these bills will also be taken up in the upcoming session during two days reserved for the Private Member’s Bills.
Sources said almost similar was the case of Private Member’s Resolutions. The Assembly Secretariat has received 98 Resolutions only as against the limit of 252 as each MLA was entitled to submit four Resolutions each.
However, in terms of questions, all 63 MLAs have exhausted their quota of starred questions while they were short by only 18 un-starred questions. The MLAs had been asked to submit 20 questions each—10 in starred and an equal number in un-starred categories.
The Assembly has received 1242 questions—630 in starred and 612 in un-starred categories. All MLAs have completed their quota of questions in starred category while they were short by only 18 questions in un-starred category.
The starred questions are taken up during Question Hour of the Assembly with written replies from the concerned Ministers, debated and supplementaries raised by the members. However, in terms of un-starred questions, the MLAs get only written replies.
Only the MLAs can submit questions, Private Member’s Bills and Resolutions or other issues of discussion in the Assembly. In the House of 89 (87 elected MLAs plus two nominated women), there was one vacancy after the death of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Of 23 Ministers including Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, 21 were Members of the Legislative Assembly. Two MLAs were Presiding Officers including Speaker Kavinder Gupta and Deputy Speaker Nazir Gurezi. Two MLAs enjoyed the status of Ministers of State including Bakir Rizvi (Independent MLA from Zanskar) and Anjum Fazili (PDP-Nominated) in their capacity as vice chairpersons of Boards/Commissions.
Two Cabinet Ministers Naeem Akhtar (Education) and Chering Dorjey (Cooperatives) were members of Upper House while Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is not a member of either House so far. She had to become member of any House within six months from April 4, the day she took oath as the Chief Minister.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta had, meanwhile, called a meeting of Legislature Party leaders of all parties in the Assembly on May 23 afternoon to seek their cooperation for smooth functioning of the Assembly session.
Gupta told the Excelsior that he has called all party meeting of the Legislature Party leaders of all parties, having representation in the Assembly, and Independent candidates on May 23, two days ahead of the budget session in Srinagar, to seek their cooperation on smooth functioning of the Assembly during 37-day long budget session with 32 sittings.
Expressing confidence that all parties would support the Chair in running the session in smooth manners, Gupta said he would urge the Leaders of the Parties during the meeting to ensure functioning of the House without any disruptions.
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