Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather chaired a joint meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) and all-party representatives today at Assembly Secretariat Jammu. The meeting focused on finalizing the agenda, ensuring coordination, and preparing for the upcoming Budget Session, which is scheduled to commence on February 2, 2026.
The committee included key members from various political parties, such as Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mubarik Gul, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Surjit Singh Slathia, Gulam Ahmad Mir, Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Choudhary Mohammad Akram.
At the outset, the Speaker welcomed the members and said that it is obligatory on the part of each and every Member of the House irrespective of his/her party affiliation to ensure smooth functioning of the House.
The Speaker stressed that Members should represent their constituencies in the House sincerely by way of raising the important public issues and highlight the problems being faced by them for the sake of their redressal by the Government.
Rather asserted that the Members should carry out healthy debates and discussions which is the essence of democracy but at the same time they should strictly keep the discipline and should not encourage any disorder and disruption which tells upon the dignity of the House. He added that the proceedings are watched by the people and any irresponsible behavior will send a wrong signal to them and as such have to behave as role models for the whole society.
The Speaker emphasized that the Members should not disrupt the Question Hour which is considered as the most important tool for raising the important public issues besides making the Government answerable/accountable to the people.
He urged that party leaders should advise the members belonging to their respective parties to ensure that the Question Hour runs smoothly without any disruption so that the problems of the people could be raised on the floor of the House and maximum number of questions are taken up for oral answers.
The members also gave their valuable suggestions for making the current Assembly Budget session more fruitful and result oriented in the largest interest of the general public. They raised certain issues related to parking facilities in the Secretariat premises, restrict the entry into the lobby and canteen which are solely meant for the Members of the House.
The Speaker assured the Members that necessary directions have already been given to the concerned departments to make the appropriate arrangements for them.
He also said that a separate area at the main entrance of the Assembly Secretariat has been designated for the media interaction/interviews for the Members and no one will be allowed in the lobby area and central hall area to be exclusively for use by the Members.
Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Manoj Kumar Pandita and other senior officers of Assembly Secretariat also attended the meeting.