Once dominating the news for setting debates and settling sticky discourses for 70 years, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council, the upper house of the Assembly, was abolished on Thursday as per Section 57 of the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which reduced the State to the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
A spokesman of the General Administration Department (GAD) said all the staff members of the Council shall report to the GAD by October 22. There are 116 employees working with the Council since the first Constituent Assembly came into being in 1957.
“The Council has discussed and passed sticky Bills like the land to tiller law, resettlement Bill and autonomy resolution. It became a vibrant platform to discuss the Delhi agreement of 1952 and the Delhi-Srinagar accord of 1975,” a senior employee of the Council said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Council, which had a strength of 36 members, also used to be a part of the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha elections.
The Secretary of the Council has been directed to transfer all records pertaining to the Council Secretariat, including related legislative business, to the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
The tenure of all 22 current Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) has also come to an end.
An official said the vehicles purchased for the council from time to time are being transferred to the State Motor Garages. "The building along with furniture and electronic gadgets will go to the Director, Estates," the official said.
The Secretary, Council, has been directed to transfer all records pertaining to the Council Secretariat, including related legislative business to the Department of Law, Justice Parliamentary Affairs for record.
J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019 was passed by the parliament in the first week of August. J&K and Ladakh will be a UT from November 1.
