J&K Legislative Assembly: Speaker Mandates 150-Word Limit for MLA Questions to Save House Time

JAMMU, MARCH 28, 2026: During a significant intervention during the ongoing Budget Session, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, issued a formal directive to all members regarding the conduct of Question Hour.

Responding to a Point of Order raised by MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia concerning the excessive length of inquiries, the Speaker emphasized that under Rule 38, Condition 7, all questions submitted by MLAs must be concise and strictly adhere to a 150-word limit.

The Speaker observed that while many current submissions violate these prescribed guidelines, he has historically utilized his special powers to admit them; however, he warned that such leniency would cease in the future to preserve the House’s “precious time” and ensure more efficient proceedings.

To facilitate better adherence to parliamentary decorum, Speaker Rather sought the full cooperation of the House members and proposed the organization of specialized workshops or seminars led by constitutional experts.

These sessions would aim to sensitize MLAs on the procedural rules and the importance of brevity in legislative inquiries. By enforcing this word count, the Speaker intends to streamline the daily agenda and prevent the rejection of important queries due to technical violations.

This move marks a firm step toward modernizing the assembly’s functioning and ensuring that the time allocated for public issues is used with maximum impact and clarity.