Heated arguments between NC, Oppn members
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Mar 12: Hours after the BJP legislators demanded that the proceedings of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly sans Business Advisory Committee (BAC) be declared as “null and void”, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather constituted a nine-member committee under his chairmanship.
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The BJP legislators, including MLA Jammu North, Sham Lal Sharma, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, had earlier claimed that it was very unfortunate that the UT’s Assembly was functioning without a Business Advisory Committee in place so far.
According to them, the committee especially carries significance because it constitutes the provisional calendar of the business of the house.
Replying to their concern, Rather said that as per the rules, the provisional calendar has to be issued by him prior to the commencement of the session in consultation with the Leader of the House and that has been issued already as per the existing rules.
“As far as constitution of the BAC is concerned,” he said, “It is not necessary to always constitute it on the first day as its job is only to suggest some amendments during the ongoing business.”
“But if the House thinks it is necessary to constitute the committee, it would be constituted,” Rather assured.
During discussions on the grants of Health and Medical Education, Education, and Social Welfare Departments, Chairman Mubarak Gul sought the consensus of the House on holding the second sitting of the Assembly in view of the holy month of Ramzan.
On this, the BJP and NC MLAs as well as Ministers, including Sakeena Itoo and Javed Dar, differed in opinions as the formers demanded that two sittings be conducted while the latter demanded that only the time of the first session be extended upto 2 pm.
As the matter was being discussed, senior BJP leader and MLA Jammu North, Sham Lal Sharma questioned why the BAC, which decides on holding the sittings, had not been constituted so far.
Sharma said the usual precedence on BAC is that it has Speaker as its Chairperson, with Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Leader of Opposition, and other senior members, as its members.
“And only this committee decides on holding the single or double sittings,” the MLA Jammu North said.
As the Chairman tried to pacify Sham Lal Sharma claiming, two sittings would be started from tomorrow, Sharma said he would stage a boycott over this serious lapse (of not constituting BAC). He, however, was stopped by Mubarik Gul, the chairman, from staging the boycott.
Later, Sunil Sharma, the Leader of Opposition, also stood from his chair, claiming the allegations of senior BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma were very serious.
As such, he, Sham Lal Sharma, Surjeet Singh Slathia, along with other BJP legislators, demanded that the proceedings of the LA be declared as “null and void”.
Countering the opposition leaders, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Education, and Social Welfare Department, Sakeena Itoo, claimed that the issue was projected as if a major blunder was committed by not forming the committee.
“The BJP leaders are projecting this issue as if only they know the rules and not the treasury benches. They are not even letting a Minister, who is also a member of this house, speak on this issue. I advise the senior BJP legislators to have some patience and know the rules themselves,” Itoo said.
This irked Sham Lal Sharma, who asked if Sakeena Itoo would teach the BJP legislators the rules.
Meanwhile, Gul tried to intervene to pacify the Minister and the BJP legislators, claiming he would update the house after the discussion on the grants were over about the fate of the Committee but the legislators didn’t stop.
Chairman Gul got irritated with this behaviour of the NC and PDP members and directed the staff not to record anything related to the BAC.
As the House resumed the discussions on the grants, BJP legislator from Udhampur Pawan Gupta also raised objections over the clubbing of several departments’ grants, claiming members were not in a position to highlight the issues of their constituencies with limited time provided to them.
Later, the Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary also stood from his chair to defend his Government, claiming, constituting a BAC was the discretion of the Leader of the House.
He even claimed that the NC Government has got everything from the former PDP-BJP Government as legacy.
On this, Sham said Business Advisory Committee constitutes the provisional calendar for the business of the House “but it is surprising that even the committee has not been constituted so far”.
Replying this concern, when Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather returned to the chair, he clarified that the provisional calendar of the business, which has to be issued by the Speaker in consultation with the Leader of the House, has been issued already strictly in accordance with the rules.
“As far as constitution of the BAC is concerned, it is not always mandatory that it is constituted on the first day since its job is to suggest amendments in the business, whenever necessary. But, if this house thinks it should be constituted, it would be constituted.”
Pertinently, as per the notification issued by the Legislative Assembly, the BAC has been constituted in accordance with Rule 317 of the Rules of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
With Rather as the Chairman of the BAC, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, senior NC legislators Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, CPI(M) MLA MY Tarigami, Congress’ GA Mir, PC’s Sajad Gani Lone, PDP’s Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Independent legislator Choudhary Mohammad Akram have been nominated as it members.
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