Jammu, Jan 01: In a historic first for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), all 51 newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will undergo a three-day training session in Jammu from January 9 to 12, ahead of the Union Territory’s first budget session.
Speaker of the J&K Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather highlighted the importance of the training, saying, “I proposed that all first-time MLAs undergo training to familiarise themselves with House proceedings and ensure smooth conduct of sessions, irrespective of party affiliations.”
The training will cover key aspects of legislative functioning, including raising questions during Question Hour, participating in budget discussions, interacting with the media and formulating effective parliamentary questions.
Constitutional experts and resource persons from across the country will conduct the training.
Yudhvir Sethi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Jammu East and a first-time legislator confirmed the initiative. “All newly elected MLAs have been directed to attend the training before the budget session begins,” he said.
The J&K Assembly comprises 90 seats—47 from the Kashmir region and 43 from Jammu. Of these, the National Conference (NC) has 42 seats while the BJP holds 29 seats. Most first-time MLAs hail from the Jammu region and represent the BJP.
