J&K Assembly to consider PDP MLA’s resolution on use of Kashmiri language

Jammu, Feb 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will consider during the second part of the Budget session a private member's resolution moved by PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para seeking mandatory use of the Kashmiri language in official work across the Kashmir division and identified Kashmiri-speaking areas.

The Budget session of the legislative assembly will resume on March 27 after five- week recess following the conclusion of its first leg from February 2 to 20.

During the initial phase, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presented the Budget on February 6, and the House passed grants for various departments after detailed deliberations held in daily sittings.

The Budget session is scheduled to conclude on April 4. March 30 and April 1 have been reserved for private member's bills, while March 31 and April 2 for private member's resolutions.

According to the assembly secretariat, the Para’s private member's resolution, the relative precedence of which was determined by ballot held on February 20, shall be taken up for consideration in the House on the scheduled date.

The PDP leader will move a resolution urging the government to mandate the use of the Kashmiri language in the Kashmir division and identified Kashmiri-speaking areas.

The resolution seeks issuance of all government notifications, orders, public communications and official documents in Kashmiri, in addition to other official languages. It also calls for displaying the Kashmiri language on all government signboards and public information displays.

Further, the resolution proposes that Kashmiri be taught as a subject up to class 12 in schools located in these areas.