Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that the upcoming session of the J&K Legislative Assembly will take up government legislative business alongside issues raised by members from both the treasury benches and the opposition.
Speaking in Srinagar about the forthcoming Assembly session, the Chief Minister said the government would place its legislative agenda before the House, while acknowledging that the scope of legislative business in a Union Territory is comparatively narrower than in a full-fledged state.
He said Members of the Legislative Assembly would have the opportunity to raise questions concerning their respective constituencies as well as broader issues affecting Jammu and Kashmir.
“MLAs, whether from the treasury benches or the opposition, will get the opportunity to raise questions regarding issues concerning their respective constituencies or Jammu and Kashmir as a whole,” Omar Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister added that a number of bills and resolutions are also expected to come before the House during the session. He said the government would make efforts to respond to the issues and proposals raised by legislators.
Since the session is scheduled to continue for seven days, Omar Abdullah said several important matters are expected to come up for discussion.
He emphasised that the government’s priority would be to ensure smooth functioning of the Assembly and provide satisfactory responses to questions and concerns raised by elected representatives.
“The government’s priority will be to ensure that the House functions smoothly and that MLAs receive satisfactory responses,” he said.
Omar Abdullah Comments on 0.4% UPI Merchant Payment Fee
On the proposed 0.4 percent fee on certain UPI merchant payments, the Chief Minister said the charge would not apply universally and maintained that person-to-person UPI transactions would continue to remain free.
He said individual consumers would also not face charges unless a specified threshold is crossed.
“This fee will not apply to everyone. Person-to-person money transfers remain completely free. As for individual consumers, no charges will be levied unless a specific threshold is crossed,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister also noted that maintaining and operating the UPI network involves significant infrastructure, capital and operational costs.
He said the Centre should ensure that any such costs are not ultimately transferred to ordinary consumers.
According to Omar Abdullah, if corporations and businesses are required to bear the applicable charges, he would have no objection, particularly as companies generate significant revenues through the UPI ecosystem.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid discussion over the cost of maintaining India’s digital payments infrastructure and the potential impact of merchant-side charges on businesses and consumers.
The Assembly session is expected to provide an important platform for legislators to raise constituency-level concerns as well as wider issues relating to governance, development and public services across Jammu and Kashmir.
