J&K Assembly starts debate on 33 private members Bills, three fail to pass

With state status yet on the horizon, the J&K Assembly started voting on Monday, March 30, 2026, on around 33 private member bills, including protection of land, regulation of affairs and return of Pandits. However, three Bills introduced by Opposition parties have already failed the floor test.

Bills that failed the floor test include PDP legislator Waheed ur Rehman Parra’s Sheikh-ul-Alam University for Pulwama Bill; BJP legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia’s bill on protection of temples and recovery of illegally occupied land and Congress legislator Nizam-ud-Din Bhat’s bill on equal employment opportunity in public services.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, while opposing the BJP Bill, said, “Successive governments of J&K, including the current dispensation led by Omar Abdullah, have ensured protection of temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches.”

The ruling National Conference (NC) has 42 members in the 90-member House of Representatives.

Former J&K Chief Minister and Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, who attended the J&K Assembly in the visitors’ gallery, described the private members’ Bills as the party’s bid to “rebuild the Assembly brick by brick” after J&K was relegated to a UT in 2019.

“Bills on wage labourers, land rights and creation of a separate division for Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal districts have been introduced. Both the government and the Opposition need to work together to find a solution to the disempowerment of the Assembly and restore its effectiveness,” Ms Mufti said.

All eyes are on NC legislator Tanvir Sadiq’s J&K Land Grants (Restoration and Conservation) Bill, 2025. “The bill, if passed, will roll back the amendments made to the Land Grants Act 1960 in 2022. It will bring relief to local people who legally rent land with them for schools, shops and hotels. I hope the bill comes up for debate and is passed,” Mr Sadiq said.

J&K Assembly devoted two days to private member bills. The J&K Chief Minister supported the ruling party’s proposal to oppose three private members’ Bills. Mr. Abdullah said, “The government does not oppose any private member’s bill without due consideration. All proposals are examined in detail before receiving comments.”

The Assembly will also debate on Bills seeking to ban sale and consumption of liquor in the Union Territory, regulation of casual and casual workers and introduction of social security provisions for unemployed youth.