Srinagar, Aug 5: The government has amended the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members' Pension Rules, 1985, authorising the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to sanction pension and family pension for sitting and former Members of the Legislative Assembly as well as former Members of the erstwhile Legislative Council.
According to a notification (S.O. 214) issued by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the amendment has been made in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members’ Pension Act, 1984.
The notification substitutes clause (h) of Rule 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members’ Pension Rules, 1985. Under the revised provision, the term “Presiding Officer” will now mean the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, who shall be the competent authority for sanctioning pension and family pension in respect of members of the Legislative Assembly and former members of the erstwhile Legislative Council.
The amendment comes more than six years after the Legislative Council was abolished following the reorganisation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in 2019.
The revised rules provide administrative clarity regarding the authority responsible for processing pension-related cases of former Legislative Council members.
The notification has been issued by order of the Lieutenant Governor and is signed by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Achal Sethi.