Jammu: BJP MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir attended a meeting here on Sunday, discussing key political, organisational and public issues ahead of the Budget session of the Assembly that will begin on February 2.
A spokesperson of the party said the meeting of the BJP legislative party was chaired by the BJP’s Jammu Kashmir unit chief, Sat Sharma, at the party headquarters in Trikuta Nagar.
Sharma said the forthcoming assembly session holds critical importance for raising the genuine concerns of the people and asked BJP MLAs to aggressively question the government and ensure that issues affecting common citizens are forcefully and effectively presented on the floor of the house.
He hailed the Centre’s Rs 1430 crore relief package for the Union Territory to mitigate damage to public property and other infrastructure during last year’s floods, saying the assistance reflects the Narendra Modi government’s deep commitment to heal the wounds of the affected families.
Senior BJP leader and MLA Surjit Singh Salathia said the party legislators are fully prepared to raise both constituency-specific issues and broader matters concerning the entire Union Territory during the assembly session.
The budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will start here on February 2 with the address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, officials said on Saturday.
Officials said the L-G’s address will mark the start of the second budget session of the Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir. The session is likely to be held in two parts — the first before the start of Ramzan and the second after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Ramzan will start on February 18 or 19, depending on the sighting of the Moon.
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretary has requested MLAs not to send more than 10 starred and as many unstarred questions on or before January 12, not more than two bills by or before January 15 and not more than four resolutions by or before January 17.
After presenting the budget on March 7, last year, Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, had said he would never present the Budget again while observing Ramzan fast. He had spoken for almost an hour and 45 minutes on the sixth day of the fast.
“After today’s experience, I will never present my Budget again while on Ramadan fast. Either I will pre- or postpone the session or request the Speaker with folded hands to arrange the session around 6.30 pm (after breaking the day-long fast),” he had said.
