Even as political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are actively submitting private member bills in the Legislative Assembly, the reality is that such bills rarely ever become law.
A Private Member’s Bill is a legislative proposal introduced by an MLA who is not a minister, whether from the ruling benches or the opposition. However, history shows that private member bills almost never pass.
As per records accessed by Kashmir News Observer (KNO), not a single private member bill has been passed in the Indian Parliament in the last 55 years. In total, only 14 private member bills have ever been passed and received Presidential assent — the last one turning into law in 1970.
Jammu and Kashmir’s own Assembly has witnessed a similar trend. Since 1980, only three private member bills have been passed. Two of these — the Jammu & Kashmir Resettlement Act, 1982 and the Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 2007 — were moved by Abdul Rahim Rather, who is now the Speaker of the Assembly. The first was introduced by him as an NC legislator in the 1980s, and the second as Leader of Opposition during the PDP-Congress coalition rule.
Former Lok Sabha General Secretary and legislative expert P.D.T. Achary told KNO that the government’s general approach is to prevent such bills from being passed. “The government holds a majority in the House, so the passage of any bill depends on its attitude. In a few rare cases during the 1950s and 60s, some bills were allowed to pass,” he said.
Achary explained that governments usually ask members to withdraw their bills, promising to bring a comprehensive version later. “Private members may lack the technical expertise needed to draft detailed legislation, so governments prefer to handle such matters themselves. It’s also about political credit — if an opposition member’s bill passes, the government doesn’t get the credit,” he added.
Veteran politician and MLA Nizamuddin Bhat shared a similar view, saying that governments prefer laws to pass through official channels. “If a private member’s bill aligns with government interests, it might be considered, but such cases are very rare. A private member is just one individual — it’s difficult for them to carry the whole House with them,” he said.
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As the Assembly session begins on October 23, the big question remains whether any of the newly submitted private member bills will even be introduced.
Officials familiar with legislative procedures told KNO that the chances of introducing these bills on October 28 — the day reserved for private member bills — are slim. Around 33 bills from the previous budget session are still pending with the Assembly Secretariat.
“The bills will be listed in the order the notices were received. Since 33 bills are already pending, they will get preference in the business list,” an official said.
He added that, based on past trends, only 10 to 12 bills are expected to be taken up for introduction. Those not discussed will remain pending and active, as private member bills only lapse upon dissolution of the Assembly — not its prorogation. —(KNO)
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