J&K Budget session begins today

Jammu, Mar 2: Political battle lines were drawn, all in the name of “public issues” – a kind of smokescreen, on the eve of the commencement of the maiden Budget session of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Political hurly-burly to chalk out an effective stratagem in a string of meetings, deliberations and other boisterous activities throughout the day was a clear indication that the session would not go without “(political) fireworks.”

Session will commence with the address of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to the Members of the J&K Legislative Assembly in the Main Hall of the Legislature complex at 10 am.

Following precedents both the opposition camps and the ruling alliance members (jointly as well as separately) huddle together to put in place a strategy to outmanoeuvre the opponents in the House. Excitement was palpable in boisterous political activities with an extra ounce this time.

While the main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was already in pro-active mode, fully geared-up for the session after its MLAs attended two-day training workshop at Katra on February 28 and March 1; Sunday witnessed a string of meetings of the ruling alliance.

Both the National Conference (NC) and Congress first convened their separate meetings at 2 pm, followed by the joint legislature meeting of the ruling alliance at 3 pm. Aam Aadmi Party, CPI-M and independent legislators also participated in the meeting.

Post-meetings though the leaders of both Congress and the National Conference reiterated that the focus would be the public issues yet they hinted that statehood and other issues too would find prominence during the discussions and debates.

NC Chief Whip Mubarak Gul, while speaking to the media, said, “During the NC Legislature Party meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, the party legislators have been given instructions to ensure all public issues are raised robustly. Public will be the prime focus. Other issues too were deliberated. A strategy for the session was devised and it would remain evolving. Hope the opposition will participate in a constructive manner. Budget-related issues were also deliberated. Similarly during the joint legislature meeting, we focussed on coordination. We would be able to tackle the opposition jointly.”

Another NC MLA Aijaz Khan said, “We have statehood and other issues; to be precise, all issues related to people would be deliberated. We have been assured that a good budget, aimed at people’s welfare is on the anvil.”

Congress leader G A Mir, following meetings, responding to media queries said, “In the budget passed (by the Parliament) for J&K for 2024-25, prior to elections when LG was at the helm of affairs, there was no scope for provision of works to be conducted, funds to be spent by the elected government. This had been a major obstacle in the past four months or so. Hopefully, during this budget session, the elected government will come out with a good budget living up to the expectations of people.”

“Statehood resolution has already been passed during the last session. Given our UT status, there will be no fun raising issues, being governed by the Centre as they could be responded to, by only the LG, who would not be part of the House. Such questions cannot be asked. But there is a possibility that these issues may be raised through resolutions or some other means. The government can answer these issues,” Mir said.

Hint was evident that even the members of the ruling alliance too would not mind raising those issues which could counter and make PDP and BJP uneasy. Statehood, rationalised reservation and other important issues of their respective manifestoes would find a place in the deliberations.

Though with regard to the resolutions of PDP regarding the ban on liquor, regularisation of daily wagers, adhoc and other categories of employees and property rights of residents on public land, Mir questioned, “Why did it not pass those resolutions when they themselves were part of Government with BJP?”

PDP, Peoples Conference and AIP have already publicised their arsenal to be used in the session. Following its convention, BJP Legislature Party will formally meet tomorrow, before the session to refurbish its strategy which is already in place and spelt out by its leadership including party president J P Nadda during the Katra workshop and earlier by the Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma.

“The party, with focus on public issues, would not accept or allow any anti-national or unconstitutional business in the House” was a single-liner strategy, encompassing everything.

The high point of the budget session will be that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will present J&K Union Territory’s maiden budget for the year 2025-26 on March 7, 2025.

The 40-day long budget session will have a total of 22 sittings. This will be the second session of the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Two days will be reserved for Private Members’ resolutions and one day has been kept for Private Members’ Bills.

Notably, the first 5-day session of the J&K Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory was held in Srinagar from November 4-8, 2024.

Another highlight of the session will be a 12-day long recess, besides six holidays, including three on account of Sundays.

Three days – March 4, 5 and 6 - have been earmarked for Discussion on Motion of Thanks on Lieutenant Governor’s Address. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will reply to the discussion on LG’s Address on March 6.

Following the presentation of the Annual Financial Statement of Expenditure for the year 2025-26 and the presentation of the Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for the year 2024-2025 on March 7, general discussion on budget will start on March 8 and will continue on March 10 and 11.

The Chief Minister, who is also the Finance Minister, will reply to the general discussion on the budget on March 11.

In the calendar, nine days have been earmarked for Demands for Grants on March 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 24.

March 25 has been kept reserved for Appropriation Bills (the passage of the budget).

It will be followed by a 12-day long recess i.e., from March 26 to April 6, 2025. The House will meet again on April 7 – the day reserved for Private Members’ Resolutions. Private Members’ resolutions will also be taken on April 9.

In between, Private Members’ Bills will be taken up on April 8. The session will culminate on April 11 – the day earmarked for Government Business.

There will be holidays on account of Holi on March 14; Navroz on March 21; Mahavir Jayanti on April 10 besides Sundays on March 9, 16 and 23.

J&K is having its first budget session in its Legislative Assembly after a gap of seven long years, though as a Union Territory this time.

The last budget session of J&K was held in 2018 when the then Finance Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government, Haseeb Drabu presented the budget in January.

In the first assembly session held in Srinagar in November last year, there was no Question-Hour and Private Members’ Bills were also not taken up.