Srinagar: The Committee on Privileges of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday reviewed pending cases and stressed the need for safeguarding the privileges and authority of elected representatives.
The meeting was chaired by MLA Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi at the Assembly Secretariat and was attended by legislators Showkat Hussain Ganie, Khurshied Ahmad, Zafar Ali Khatana, Vijay Kumar and Rajeev Kumar, besides officials of the Assembly Secretariat.
Addressing the meeting, Masoodi described the Committee on Privileges as an important House panel responsible for protecting the privileges, dignity and authority of members of the Legislative Assembly. He emphasised the need for expeditious disposal of pending cases and timely examination of all matters referred to the committee.
Members held detailed deliberations on issues related to the functioning of the committee and discussed measures to strengthen its role in upholding the privileges of the House. Several suggestions were also put forward to improve the committee’s effectiveness.
The committee directed the Chief Secretary to ensure strict adherence to and protection of the privileges of MLAs. It observed that any breach of privilege involving a legislator would be viewed seriously and called for preventive measures to avoid such instances.
The panel also took up three privilege motions referred to it and issued notices in all the cases. Concerned officials have been asked to appear before the committee at its next meeting, scheduled for July 8, for further examination of the matters.
The meeting concluded with a review of pending cases and discussions on measures to strengthen the protection of legislative privileges.
