Assembly Secretariat Seeks Mandatory 40-Day Notice Before J&K Assembly Sessions
Proposal Aims to Give MLAs More Time for Questions, Bills, Resolutions; Govt Likely to Clear Move Ahead of September Session
JAMMU, Aug 3 (KNC): In a major step towards improving the efficiency and quality of legislative functioning, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat has proposed a mandatory 40-day gap between the issuance of the notification for an Assembly session and the commencement of House proceedings. The proposal has been forwarded to the Union Territory Government with the objective of providing legislators adequate time to prepare legislative business.
Highly placed official sources told Kashmir News Corner (KNC) that the communication was sent with the approval of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, who emphasized the need for a structured timeline after members faced difficulties during recent sessions due to the limited time available between the notification and the start of proceedings.
Sources said that under the proposed mechanism, MLAs would get around 30 days to draft and submit starred and unstarred questions, private members’ bills, and resolutions, while the Assembly Secretariat would utilize the remaining 10 days to scrutinize the submissions, prepare the agenda, and finalize the business calendar for the House.
The proposal follows concerns raised by several legislators who argued that the existing practice of issuing notifications only 15 to 20 days before a session leaves insufficient time for meaningful legislative preparation. Members particularly highlighted that private members’ bills often require legal scrutiny, policy consultation, and detailed drafting before submission.
Officials said the Government is likely to accept the recommendation, considering its importance in strengthening legislative procedures and ensuring greater participation by elected representatives.
Meanwhile, the J&K Cabinet, scheduled to meet on August 4, is expected to approve the convening of the next Assembly session in Srinagar during September. Following Cabinet approval, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is expected to formally summon the House, after which the Assembly Secretariat will issue the detailed calendar of business.
According to official sources, the forthcoming session is likely to begin between September 15 and September 20 and may continue for about 10 days, with seven to eight sittings expected. Under constitutional provisions, the Legislative Assembly is required to meet at least once every six months. Since the Budget Session concluded on April 4, the next session must be convened before October 4.
In another significant development, the Assembly Secretariat is also accelerating work on implementing the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) to transform the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly into a fully paperless digital legislature. Officials said efforts are underway to roll out the system from the upcoming September session, although if additional preparations are required, it will be implemented by the next Budget Session in Jammu.
Officials believe that introducing a mandatory 40-day notification period, along with the transition to a digital Assembly, will significantly enhance legislative preparedness, improve scrutiny of government business, encourage meaningful debates, and strengthen the overall functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. (KNC)
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