‘Extension only if there is urgent Govt business’
**Deptts asked to submit replies to queries immediately
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 17: All remaining nearly 450 questions will be listed during seven sittings left in budget session of the Legislature as a direction has gone to all the Government departments to expedite the replies.
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Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather told the Excelsior that all pending questions will be listed during remaining seven sittings of the budget session which will resume on March 27 after over a month-long break. Last sitting of the session was held on February 20.
To a question whether the Assembly session will be extended, Rather said as of now, there is no need for extension. However, if there is some Government business which comes at a later date, the extension can be considered.
Asserting that nearly 450 questions are still pending, the sources said all of them will be listed as seven sittings of the budget session are still pending.
“We have asked the Government departments to whom the questions pertain to expedite their replies for listing them in time,” the sources said, adding the Assembly Secretariat has started receiving the answers. They, however, clarified that only those questions will be listed which have been approved by the Assembly Speaker.
As per the rough estimates, the Assembly Secretariat had received nearly 1500 questions and around 450 are still pending in both starred and un-starred categories. Nearly 70 questions have to be listed daily to complete all questions in the remaining days.
Each legislator is entitled to ask 20 questions-10 each in starred and un-starred categories, in the budget session. The starred questions are debated during Question Hour in the Assembly while the MLAs get written replies only for un-starred questions. In the House of 90, there are six Ministers including the Chief Minister and a Speaker, who can’t submit written questions leaving 83 legislators to ask the queries.
As reported, the Assembly Secretariat has already submitted all private member’s bills to the concerned Government departments and asked them to submit their replies to the Minister concerned when the bills are taken up for introduction in the House.
Out of seven working days left in budget session of the Legislature, two each are reserved for Government business, private members’ bills and private members’ resolutions. On March 27 when the House resumes after break, the budget will be taken up for passing in the form of Appropriation bills.
The House is scheduled to adjourn sine die on April 4.
The budget session had started on February 2 with Address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to the Legislature. The Demands for Grants of all Ministries have been passed. The House took a break on February 20 for Ramadhan followed by Navratras.
A total of 72 private member’s bills have been listed including those pending since the last Assembly session.
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