Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 4: Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Saturday adjourned the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly sine die after a largely well-conducted budget session that lasted for 22 sittings spread across February, March and April.
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The assembly session commenced on February 2 with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presenting the Budget on February 6, while the House passed grants for various departments after detailed discussions conducted in twin sittings each day till February 20. After a five-weeks recess, the budget session resumed on March 27.
The Speaker said the assembly held a total of 22 sittings, marking a second-highest tally among states, next only to Gujarat, which recorded 23 budget sittings.
The house functioned for a total of 6,636 minutes (110.6 hours) during this session, he said, adding a total of eight Government bills were received, all of which were introduced and passed. Additionally, 25 papers were laid and one ordinance was presented, Rather informed the house.
Regarding private members’ business, the Speaker said 36 bills were pending from the previous session, while 39 new bills were received during this session. Of these, 72 bills were listed, 24 were taken up and two were introduced.
On the questions, he said a total of 1,528 questions — 802 starred and 726 unstarred — were received. After personally scrutinising the questions, a total of 1,379 were listed, 144 disallowed, two withdrawn by members and three questions were not listed.
The Speaker said 151 starred questions were taken up in the house along with 331 supplementaries.
Similarly, 110 calling attention notices were received, of which 63 were disallowed and 47 admitted. A total of 26 notices were listed and all 26 were taken up for discussion, he said.
Regarding resolutions, a total of 128 were received, 101 admitted, 27 disallowed 14 listed and four taken up but none was adopted, Rather said.
He also referred to two notices taken up for short-duration discussions while the house received 2,231 cut motions, of which 2,059 were admitted and 172 disallowed.
Appreciating members for their cooperation, Rather said it was commendable that the house provided maximum opportunity for participation, allowing members across parties to express their views and reflect a healthy democratic spirit.
Highlighting the workload on Ministers, he said they handle multiple departments and responsibilities, making their role particularly demanding while responding to house proceedings.
He also lauded the Chief Minister for his presence throughout the session despite pressing responsibilities, besides the Government officers — especially Chief Secretary Atal Dullo.
“The Chief Minister oversees several key departments and has to ensure their proper functioning. At the same time, sitting in the house and personally responding to questions is not an easy task,” he said.
The Speaker said Abdullah answering questions personally reflects his seriousness towards the house and a strong commitment to accountability. This is a positive practice and deserves appreciation.
“With this, today’s proceedings come to an end, and the house stands adjourned sine die,” Rather said.
Earlier, the members cutting across party lines praised the Speaker for ensuring smooth functioning of the house during the budget session.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary and Legislators today commended Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, for smooth and efficient conduct of the Budget Session- 2026.
The Deputy Chief Minister praised the Speaker’s experience and leadership, noting that despite the usual challenges and differing viewpoints, the proceedings were conducted in an orderly and effective manner.
He said that all the legislators, particularly first time MLAs benefitted greatly from the Speaker’s guidance and had the opportunity to learn the nuances of legislative functioning.
Sharing his experience, the Deputy Chief Minister said that this session served as a valuable platform for meaningful discussions and constructive debate, contributing significantly towards strengthening democratic processes.
He also expressed appreciation for the dedicated efforts of the Assembly staff, officers and officials, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure seamless functioning of the session. He emphasized that the quality of debates and discussions in the House is a result of their continuous hard work and commitment.
The Deputy Chief Minister further acknowledged the role of the media in taking the voice of the Assembly to the people. He appreciated the press for highlighting public issues and strengthening the democratic engagement.
He also expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and Members of the House for collectively ensuring that the concerns of the people are effectively raised and addressed.
On the concluding day, the Members cutting across party lines, also expressed their sincere gratitude to the Speaker, for smooth, efficient and impartial conduct of the Budget Session.
Legislators Surjeet Singh Slathia, M.Y. Tarigami, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Sajad Gani Lone, Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Tanvir Sadiq, Mir Saifullah, Rafiq Ahmad Naik, Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), Sajjad Shaheen, Aijaz Ahmad Jan and Salman Sagar spoke in the appreciation of Speaker.
The Members collectively lauded the Speaker for conducting the proceedings with remarkable efficiency, ensuring that the House functioned smoothly without disruptions.
They highlighted that for the first time, the Members were given adequate and extended opportunities to raise issues related to their constituencies.
The Speaker’s commitment towards maintaining decorum, ensuring equal participation and allocating fair time to all members was widely appreciated.
The Members noted that this inclusive approach strengthened the democratic functioning and allowed diverse voices to be heard effectively.
The House acknowledged that the Budget Session-2026 set a positive benchmark in terms of discipline, productivity and member participation.
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