Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 25: As many as 68 private member’s bills would be taken up in just one day fixed for them in seven sittings of 10 days Assembly session, beginning October 1 in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State.
Though the legislators have submitted only nine private member’s bills for brief session of the Assembly from October 1-10, there were 62 bills, which were already pending before the Lower House, which would be taken up in one day fixed for the Assembly session.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone told the Excelsior that 62 private member’s bills were pending before the House. Of them, seven were at the stage of consideration. Nine more bills of private member’s have been received for the current session, six of which have been disallowed, he said, adding the private member’s bills, which were now before the House were 68.
In budget session of the Legislature, the MLAs can submit five private member’s bills while in the brief session they can move two bills. However, for the upcoming session, 63 MLAs, who were entitled for submitting questions, bills and resolutions, only nine private member’s bills were received. Of them, three bills have been rejected.
The legislators have not even utilized their quota of asking 10 questions in the Assembly including five in starred category and an equal number in un-starred category.
A total of 63 MLAs were entitled to ask question in a House of 89 (87 elected plus two nominated women). While 21 members of the Assembly were Ministers, two others were Presiding Officers and three enjoyed the status of Ministers.
As against 630 questions the members could have asked, the Assembly Secretariat received only 511 queries.
Mr Lone said out of 511 questions, 276 were starred and 235 were un-starred. He added that he has disallowed 43 questions. The Assembly Secretariat has sent the questions approved by the Speaker to the concerned departments for replies.
“The MLAs would get replies of all questions approved by me”, the Speaker said, adding that all out efforts would be made to list as many question as possible in the House. Still if some questions couldn’t be listed due to brief session, the MLAs would get written replies to them.
While starred questions are debated during Question Hour of the Assembly, the MLAs get only written replies to un-starred questions.
The Speaker said the Assembly Secretariat has received 40 resolutions, of which, 34 have been allowed and rest of them rejected. For 34 resolutions also, only one day has been fixed in the brief session.
Mr Lone said if the bills or resolutions were repeated by the MLAs within a period of one year, they were liable for rejection. Moreover, the resolutions on which the Assembly has no powers for discussions or the issues, which were subject matter of Parliament are also rejected.
The resolutions, which were contradictory to Constitution or in contravention to rules and regulations, are also not listed in the House, he added.
Meanwhile, the Speaker would be meeting leaders of all political parties having representation in the Assembly and Independent MLAs on September 27 to seek their cooperation in smooth running of the brief session so that the issues raised by the legislators are debated and the Ministers held accountable before them.
Mr Lone hoped that legislators of both ruling and opposition parties would cooperate with him in running the House smoothly.
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