Business Rules for J&K LA: Speaker-led panel holds maiden meeting

Jammu, Jan 1: The Rules Committee, led by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather and constituted to draft rules of procedure for conducting business in the Legislative Assembly, held its maiden meeting on Wednesday.

According to official sources, four members of the committee—former Speaker Mubarik Gul (NC), Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M), Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (Congress), and Pawan Kumar Gupta (BJP)—attended the meeting chaired by Speaker A R Rather.

“During the meeting, one of the members stated that though the exercise to frame rules was taken up yet it would curtail the powers of the Speaker and the MLAs. Another member suggested that the exercise of framing rules should be paused till the restoration of statehood. He drew support from another member also,” sources stated.

Sources pointed out the Chairperson, however noted that framing of rules could not be put to the backburner for long.

“For the past five years or so, entire administrative functioning was being pursued under the J&K Reorganisation Act. The process of framing of rules also cannot be paused for long,” it was stated during the meeting.

This viewpoint was supported by a couple of members who suggested that the process (to frame rules) should continue.

On December 24, 2024, the Speaker J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather announced this nine-member panel. The Speaker is the ex-officio chairman.

The panel was constituted by the Speaker, in exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 363 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

It (the panel) has been asked to finalise the draft Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, before the commencement of the ensuing Budget session.

Eight MLAs nominated for the panel included former Speaker Mubarak Gul (NC); Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M); Saifullah Mir (NC); Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (Congress); Pawan Kumar Gupta (BJP), Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Ranbir Singh Pathania (BJP) and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (independent).