Speaker Rather says Chair above party lines; Deputy CM Choudhary credits Treasury and Opposition for raising public issues
Dhar Mubeeb
Srinagar, Sep 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Autumn Session 2026 concluded on Wednesday, with members using the final day to press for longer sittings even as they reaffirmed their commitment to raising public concerns.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, who invited members to offer their observations on the proceedings, expressed satisfaction over the House’s overall conduct and lauded MLAs for actively raising issues of public importance and constituency-specific matters.
Recalling his first day in the Chair, Speaker Rather said he had made it clear that he “does not represent any particular political party” and was committed to discharging his duties impartially and in the larger interest of the House.
While acknowledging the members’ enthusiasm, he asked them to appreciate the limitations imposed by the session’s duration. He noted that longer sessions would allow greater scope for constituency-specific issues, government answers and debate on matters of public importance, besides easing pressure on the Chair.
Speaker Rather said members had been elected with “great expectations” from the people and appreciated their focus on public concerns rather than personal matters. He reiterated that it was the Chair’s responsibility to give every member a fair and reasonable opportunity to speak and participate.
The Speaker also acknowledged the work of the Assembly Secretariat staff and said their concerns and demands were under consideration.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary described the session as “relatively short” and said both the Treasury Benches and the Opposition had worked to address people’s issues. Calling the Assembly an important institution and a legacy, he said all members were collectively responsible for strengthening it, and reiterated the government’s commitment to fulfilling the promises made to the people.
Media’s role flagged
CPI(M) leader and MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigam said the “challenging circumstances” in Jammu and Kashmir placed a greater burden on elected representatives. He thanked the media for covering the proceedings and underlined the need for objective and responsible reporting.
MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta said the short session had curtailed discussion on issues confronting the people, and sought longer sittings to give all MLAs adequate time for constituency matters and more questions during Question Hour.
MLA Iftikhar Ahmed thanked the Assembly Secretariat for smooth conduct of proceedings and praised the Speaker’s handling of the House, saying the Assembly’s primary objective was to provide a platform for raising and addressing people’s issues.
MLA Syed Aga Muntazir Mehdi also lauded the Speaker and thanked the Secretariat staff. MLA Tanvir Sadiq appreciated the Speaker for his “presence of mind” in steering the proceedings.
Concluding their remarks, members expressed hope that future sessions would offer more time for detailed deliberations and strengthen the Legislature’s role in addressing public concerns.
