SRINAGAR, SEPT 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday after a ten-day Autumn Session marked by legislative activity, opposition-government exchanges and a procedural controversy over a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
The House witnessed seven sittings spread over 10 days, with around 25 hours of proceedings, Rather said while delivering his concluding remarks after a nearly seven-hour sitting on the final day.
The scale of legislative business remained substantial. The Speaker said 646 questions were received during the session, including 328 starred questions. Of these, 625 were listed, one was withdrawn and 25 were disallowed. The House also received 79 calling-attention notices, with 56 allowed and 23 disallowed.
On government legislation, eight Bills were introduced, of which six were passed while two were withdrawn. Two government resolutions were moved and both were adopted by the House.
Private members’ business also figured prominently, with 70 resolutions received, seven listed and one taken up but not adopted. Rather said 49 private member Bills were pending, while 23 fresh Bills were introduced during the session. One was disallowed and another was taken up.
The closing proceedings also saw Rather speak candidly about the functioning of the House and the pressure surrounding disruptions. He said his interactions with members suggested that most legislators did not want to disrupt proceedings, although they might face pressure from “some quarters” to do so.
The Speaker defended his approach to presiding over the House, saying he had consistently sought to give every member an opportunity to raise issues affecting the people and had attempted to function without discrimination.
Rather urged legislators to remain vigilant about government assurances made on the floor of the House, stressing that the executive was accountable to the legislature.
“If the government does not fulfil any assurances, bring it to my notice. The government is accountable to this House,” he said, maintaining that government accountability was essential to upholding the dignity and esteem of the Assembly.
A key political issue remained the motion moved by the opposition BJP seeking Rather’s removal as Speaker. Rather said he welcomed the discussion on his role, observing that it could help him identify and rectify his shortcomings.
However, he flagged a procedural complication over the motion’s listing. Rather said he had not taken a final decision on the matter but had read commentary suggesting that the motion could lapse because the rules require 14 days before such a motion can be listed for business.
With the session ending before that period could run its course, the Speaker said he had asked the Assembly Secretary to examine whether there was a way for the motion to proceed without violating the rules. He also directed that the matter be referred to the Law Department for an opinion.
Rather made it clear that he was not opposed to the motion being taken up, but insisted that any such move must conform to the prescribed procedure.
“I want this motion to come but only under rules,” he said, leaving the issue as one of the significant procedural and political matters accompanying the close of the Autumn Session.
