Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 4: The Law Ministry has mooted a proposal of holding brief and last session of 11th Assembly from August 25 to take up pending legislative business and fulfill the Constitutional requirement of holding session of the Legislature once in six months, the deadline for which expires on September 4. The session was expected to last till September 5.
A direction by Speaker Mubarak Gul to chairpersons of various Houses Committees set up on different issues to complete their reports and submit them during last session of the Assembly notwithstanding, there appeared to be negligible chances of the Committees completing their reports on Kashmir Hindu Shrines bill and Sub Centres of Health Department.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Law Ministry has submitted a proposal to the Government for holding a week long session of the Legislature from August 25 to take up pending legislative business and other issues.
“A final decision on the proposal of the Law Ministry would be taken by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Cabinet in next few days after which the Law ministry would send a formal proposal to Governor NN Vohra to call one last session of the 11th Assembly,” sources said, adding that final date of calling the session would be decided by the Cabinet.
Speaker Mubarak Gul, however, told the Excelsior that an exact date for start of the session was yet to be decided but definitely the Assembly session would be held in last week of August.
“The Assembly session would be held in last week of August. We have to hold the session before September 5 to meet Constitutional requirement also. A decision on duration of the session would be taken shortly,” Gul said, adding it would be last session of the 11th Assembly. The elections for 12th Assembly were due in November-December this year.
The Speaker said he has asked the chairpersons of two House Committees set up during February-March budget session of the Assembly on Kashmiri Hindu Shrines bill and sanction of Sub Centres of Health Department to complete their reports and submit them during upcoming last session of the Assembly.
“I have asked the chairpersons of both the Joint Select Committee (on Shrines bill) and House Committee (on Health Centres) to convene the meetings, discuss the issues and submit the report in the last session of the Assembly,” Mubarak Gul said expressing confidence that reports of the Committee would come during last session of the House.
One of the members of the Joint Select Committee on Kashmiri Hindu Shrines bill, said that the Committee headed by Law Minister Saifullah Mir has not met even once since it was constituted. The Law Minister was not available for comments as his phone was switched off. In such a situation, sources said, it would be an uphill task for the Committee to complete its report in the left out days.
The member said the Chairman had called one meeting of the Joint Select Committee but it too was postponed.
However, the Committee on conducting probe into irrational allotment of Sub Centres in the Health Department, which is headed by NC veteran Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal, has met once and discussed the issue.
Sources said if both the reports didn’t come during last session of the House, the Committees would cease to exist as new Assembly would be constituted when next session of the Legislature is held.
Apart from this, sources pointed out that nearly 100 private member’s bills, would also lapse as there would be only one day in brief session of the Legislature to take up all pending bills, which were at various stages of consideration, passing etc. Once the new Assembly is constituted, the previous bills-Government or private-automatically lapse.
Sources said as per the Constitutional requirement, the Legislature must meet once in six months. As budget session of the Legislature had concluded on March 4, the Government had to convene next session before September 4.
Sources said the session to be held in last week of August would be a brief one with seven to eight sittings. This would be last session of the Assembly as fresh Assembly elections would be held in November-December.
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