Omar withdraws salary hike bills for Ministers, legislators after opposition by BJP

‘No dissenting note given in House Committee’

Irfan Tramboo

SRINAGAR, Sept 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today withdrew two Bills proposing higher salaries and allowances for Ministers, Ministers of State and legislators after BJP opposed the move.

The decision followed a debate in which BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma opposed the proposed increase and urged the Government to focus instead on the problems of daily wagers and other pending issues.

Sharma said a committee had been constituted nearly one-and-a-half years ago to examine the salaries and allowances of legislators and that its recommendations had subsequently entered the public domain.

"We have been humiliated because of that," he said, referring to reports that perks of more than Rs 3 lakh had been proposed for Assembly members.

He said legislators had themselves contributed to diluting the standing of the Assembly.

"We do issue-based politics. Then we claim that we have a protocol above the Chief Secretary," he said.

Sharma urged the Government to withdraw the Bills, saying the proposed remuneration was not acceptable to the members and that the Government should instead address the problems of daily wagers and other pending issues. "This is what our members want," he said.

Responding to the objections, Omar said he had anticipated that the issue would become political and made it clear that he would not allow the Bills to pass without unanimous support.

"I was smiling as I moved for the passing of these Bills. I knew there would be politics on it," he said.

The Chief Minister said that if members discussed the matter candidly among themselves, they would find support for the proposed benefits.

Omar also said he would not allow members to oppose the Bills publicly while subsequently seeking to avail the benefits if they were passed.

"I have said it already that I will not let these people do politics on this issue. Unless and until this is unanimous, I do not want to have this passed. I withdraw these Bills," he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that there was no dissenting note in the House Committee that had recommended the proposed increase in salaries and allowances.

The two withdrawn Bills were the Jammu and Kashmir Ministers' and Ministers of State Salaries (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Bill seeking amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members' Salaries and Allowances Act, 1960.

Meanwhile, the Assembly passed five other Bills moved by Omar, covering municipal governance, Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living, taxation, pension provisions for legislators, and rationalisation and decriminalisation of offences.

During consideration of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2026, BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania raised objections, questioning what the Government sought to achieve through the proposed amendments.

Omar said the objections were being raised "for the sake of it" and maintained that the amendments were aimed at removing confusion in the municipal governance framework.

He said the changes would ensure there was no conflict between the Deputy Commissioner and the State Election Commission.

"The Bill is simple. The amendments are simple and should be passed," Omar said.

The Municipal (Amendment) Bill was moved by Omar in his capacity as Minister in charge of Housing and Urban Development.

As Minister in charge of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Omar moved the Jammu and Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026, which seeks to replace permission-based controls with rule-based governance and facilitate investment, employment generation and long-term economic growth while improving Ease of Living in J&K.

As Minister in charge of Finance, Omar moved the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking amendments to the J&K GST Act, 2017.

The House also passed the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members' Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members' Pension Act, 1984.

The Jammu and Kashmir Decriminalisation and Rationalisation of Offences Bill, 2026, was also passed. It seeks to amend various enactments to decriminalise and rationalise offences, promote Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business, and repeal certain enactments.

The five Bills passed by the House were L.A. Bills Nos. 10, 11, 12, 15 and 16 of 2026, while the salary-related Bills, L.A. Bills Nos. 13 and 14, were withdrawn.