Day 5 of J&K assembly session set to be stormy
Srinagar, Sept. 28 -- The fifth day of Jammu and Kashmir assembly's autumn session on Monday is expected to be stormy as the government will attempt to hold a discussion on the resolution seeking urgent restoration of full statehood of the Union territory,, which caused uproar from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly after its introduction by chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah on Friday.
Besides the discussion, as many as 35 private members' bills have been listed for introduction or passing including Sajad Lone's bill seeking end of residential criteria clause for economic weaker section (EWS) quota, Waheed Para's bill to for a comprehensive framework for the nutritional well-being and reproductive health of women and Sheikh Khurshid's bill to prohibit online gaming and fantasy leagues.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah will also introduce a bill to consolidate and amend the law to foster 'ease of doing business and ease of living' in a manner that generates employment and attracts investment in the UT.
Chaos erupted in Friday's assembly session after CM Omar Abdullah moved the statehood resolution with references to autonomy resolution passed in the year 2000 and special status resolution passed in 2024, leading to an abrupt end to the proceedings of the House for the day.
The J&K assembly, while listing its business for Monday, mentioned Friday's resolution at point number 4 for a discussion in the house.
"Discussion on the resolution moved by the CM on 25th of September, 2026 in the House," said the information.
BJP's leader of opposition Sunil Sharma stated that they were ready for discussion on statehood but won't allow debate on autonomy or special status. BJP will not accept any attempt to "smuggle" the issues of Article 370 and the 2000 autonomy resolution into the assembly under the guise of a statehood resolution, he said on Friday.
On Saturday, Sharma also met home minister Amit Shah in Delhi just a day after the statehood resolution in the assembly.
35 private member bills
35 Private members bills are scheduled to be moved for introduction in the assembly including People' Conference (PC) president Sajad Lone's bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
Lone's bill seeks to amend the act to do away with the residential criteria for determining eligibility under EWS category in J&K.
"The 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 provides for reservation of up to 10 % for economically weaker sections of society in appointments to public employment and admissions in educational institutions.
The criteria prescribed for determining eligibility under the EWS category in Jammu and Kashmir include asset based conditions relating to the size, area, or extent of residential flats and residential plots owned by the applicant's family. Such conditions deprive otherwise economically weaker families of the benefits intended under this category," the bill states.
"The proposed amendment seeks to remove such conditions to ensure that deserving economically weaker families are not excluded from the benefits of reservation on account of residential assets. The Bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objectives," it said.
The PC said that Kashmiris are facing disparity in the issuance of EWS certificates in J&K as compared to Jammu.
"Lakhs of Kashmiris are denied EWS quota due to the residential clause. Sajad Lone's bill listed at serial number 16 seeks to end the residential criteria," the party said on X.
In the last assembly session in March, Sajad raised the issue in the house. "In Jammu and Kashmir, per capita income and economic indicators are the same, so what is the reason that in Jammu,there are 22,000 certificates and in Kashmir, there are just 2,700. If officials have rejected them, then what are the basis for the rejection. We are two partners of the same state and all the indicators are the same," he had said.
Awami Ittehad Party's Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad will attempt to move for leave to introduce a Bill to prohibit online gaming and fantasy leagues in the J&K.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s Waheed Para will move a bill to provide for a comprehensive framework for the protection, promotion and advancement of the health, dignity, education, nutritional well-being and reproductive health of women, adolescent girls and young women....
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