By IANS,
Jammu : The National Panthers Party (NPP) has demanded abolition of the upper house, or legislative council, of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature.
NPP’s leader in the state assembly Harsh Dev Singh has moved a bill in the lower house. The state legislature is currently in budget session with a short break. The session resumes Aug 7.
The bill, Singh said, has been admitted by the assembly secretariat and enlisted for tabling on the floor of the house as a private members’ bill.
“The futility of the legislative council has been acknowledged all over the country and 24 states have already abolished the upper houses (of their legislatures),” Singh said in a statement Tuesday.
Jammu and Kashmir needs to realise and acknowledge that legislative councils “have lost their relevance in the present day democratic set up and have only proved to be a white elephant”, he said.
Legislative council, he said, has become “a major drain on the scarce resources of the state”.
The purpose to have the upper house of the legislature has been “violated with impunity by successive governments to suit their own political interests and the members are elected and nominated solely on political considerations”, he said.
“The legislative councils have turned out to be rehabilitation centres for defeated politicians.”
According to the NPP leader, the annual expenditure, including salaries, allowances, security, and discretionary grants for the council members, exceed Rs.100 crore.