The Jammu and Kashmir government issued a directive on handling legislative proposals for the upcoming budget session of the legislative assembly, set to begin on March 3. This will be the inaugural budget session of the J&K government led by the National Conference. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is the acting finance minister of the Union territory.
As per the directive, all departments must submit draft bills and proposals for legal review well in advance to allow enough time for thorough examination before they are presented in the assembly.
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Departments have to follow the rules outlined in Part-C of the ‘Transaction of the Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019.’ These rules explain the process for addressing legislative matters and require consultation with the departments of law, justice, and parliamentary affairs.
The directive also states that certain rules and notifications linked to specific Acts must be formally introduced in the assembly. Departments responsible for these laws must ensure the documents are submitted during the budget session to meet legal requirements.
Additionally, any proposals needing the Lieutenant Governor’s approval must be sent to the LG’s Secretariat at least 21 days before submission, in line with Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The government has also reminded financial commissioners, principal secretaries, commissioners, and secretaries to strictly follow established procedures for responding to assembly questions and handling legislative matters.
To ensure smooth discussions, administrative secretaries and heads of departments must be present in the assembly when matters related to their departments are being discussed. This will help provide clear and timely responses.
These guidelines, approved by the competent authority, aim to ensure that legislative matters during the budget session are handled efficiently and under legal procedures.
The budget session is expected to be stormy because of some of bills including a ban on liquor sales and ownership of houses built on state land.
