5 members from ruling alliance, 3 from opposition
NAVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: The opposition BJP MLAs on Wednesday raised concern over functioning of legislative assembly in absence of Business advisory committee (BAC) and alleged that house is being run on behest of officers.
The issue cropped up when NC MLA Mubarak Gul who was in the Chair in the absence of speaker extended the time of day proceedings by half an hour.
The BJP MLAs and members of treasury benches including minister Sakina Itoo have heated arguments over the issue.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather informed the House that a business advisory committee will be formed.
Raising objection, senior BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma pointed out that till date no BAC has been formed and the house is being run by secretary. “It is not the authority of the secretary to frame the business of the house”, he said, getting support from other BJP MLAs. Sham Lal Sharma even threatened to walk out from the house as MLAs are being taken for granted. This led to a verbal duel between him and Education Minister Sakeena Itoo. Members of treasury benches objected to BJP MLAs behavior.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma demanded double sitting as many members were not getting time to highlight their issues. Trying to pacify BJP MLAs, the chairman suggested that being Ramzan the assembly is only having a single sitting. However LoP pointed out that without BAC the business should be declared null and void.
Sakina objected to remarks of Sham Lal and further suggested that business was framed by consensus of the house. “We also now have rules and it’s not that only few know how the house business is chalked out”.
Rather returned to his chair and said the Assembly secretariat issued the provisional calendar before the commencement of the session and there was no need for setting up the business advisory committee to run the House.
“The provisional calendar was prepared in consultation with the leader of the House before the session as per the rules. The business advisory committee is formed when the House is faced with some big issue,” he said.
Rather said some members have expressed concern and he finds no problem in the setting up the business advisory committee to take the suggestions of the members into account for the smooth functioning of the House. “The business advisory committees have been formed in the past and so it should be formed again,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Pursuant to Rule 317 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, today nominated the members of Business Advisory Committee of which he shall be the Chairman.
The nominated members included Sunil Kumar Sharma, Leader of Opposition; Ali Mohammad Sagar, MLA; Mubarik Gul, MLA; Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, MLA; Gulam Ahmad Mir, MLA; Sajad Gani Lone, MLA; Mir Mohammad Fayaz, MLA and Choudhary Mohammad Akram, MLA.
