Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will begin its seven-sitting Autumn session on Monday, with opposition parties, including the BJP and PDP, preparing to corner the Omar Abdullah-led government over employment, election commitments and several other public issues.
The National Conference legislature party, along with supporting Independent MLAs, is scheduled to meet on Sunday to finalise the treasury benches’ strategy for the session. NC president Farooq Abdullah, who is not a member of the Assembly, will chair the meeting, which will be led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The BJP, the principal opposition party in the House, has accused the National Conference government of failing to fulfil its election commitments and is expected to raise a range of issues during the session.
Among the key matters likely to be raised by the BJP are the outsourcing of government jobs, alleged corruption in public offices and the delay in holding panchayat and urban local body elections. The party is also expected to question the increase in electricity tariffs and what it describes as the government’s failure to deliver on its electoral promises.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), meanwhile, is expected to focus on unemployment, outsourcing of government jobs, the reservation policy and the regularisation of daily wagers in government service.
According to the provisional calendar issued by Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, the session will commence on September 21 with obituary references.
Government business has been scheduled for September 22, while private members’ bills will be taken up on September 24, followed by private members’ resolutions on September 25.
The House will again consider private members’ bills on September 28 before taking up government business on September 29 and 30.
With several contentious issues lined up for discussion, the seven-sitting session is expected to witness sharp exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches as the government faces scrutiny over employment, development, governance and its election commitments.
