Ban on Alchol, Hindu Shrine bill among 41 private member bills to be presented in J&K Assembly on Tuesday
Asif Iqbal Naik
Srinagar, October 27, 2025 — The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is set to have a busy day on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, with a staggering list of 41 Private Members’ Bills scheduled for introduction. These bills, proposed by various MLAs, touch upon critical socio-economic, administrative, and public health issues, signaling a concerted effort by private members to drive legislative change in the Union Territory.
The bills cover diverse themes, from regularization of employment and land rights to social security, public health, and amendments to key existing laws. Here is a breakdown of the key proposed legislation:
1. Bills Focused on Employment, Labor, and Social Security
A significant number of bills aim to protect and create employment opportunities, and enhance social security for various groups:
• Regularization of Employees: Several proposals directly address the concerns of temporary workers. Bills are being introduced to provide for the protection and regularization of services for contractual employees, casual laborers, and daily wagers, as well as a bill specifically for the regularization of adhoc, daily wagers, need-based, and other temporary workers.
• Employment and Unemployment Allowance: Mir Saifullah is set to introduce a bill for the creation of gainful employment opportunities and the payment of unemployment allowance/stipend to unemployed youth.
• Social Security for Specific Groups: Mr. Mubarik Gul is moving to introduce bills for the Social Security and Welfare of Artisans and for providing social security to unemployed technocrats/professionals.
• Compassionate Appointments: A bill by Mr. Pawan Kumar Gupta aims to provide compassionate appointments to the next of kin of deceased government employees, security personnel, and civilians affected by militancy or enemy action.
2. Land Rights, Ownership, and Housing
Recognizing the sensitive issue of land in the region, multiple bills seek to regularize occupancy and secure property rights:
• Proprietary Rights on State Land: Mr. Waheed Ur Rehman Para is introducing a bill to provide special provisions for recognizing the proprietary rights of houses constructed on State land, Kacharia land, Common land and Shamilat land. A separate bill by the same member aims for the vesting of ownership of State land in long-term occupants.
• Restoration of Land Grants Act: A key bill by Mr. Tanvir Sadiq proposes to restore the Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Act, 1960, to its original form prior to the 2022 Rules, to protect the rights of existing lessees and occupants.
• Evacuee Property: Mr. Balwant Singh Mankotia proposes the vesting of ownership rights of evacuee property to the occupants.
3. Public Health, Addiction, and Liquor Ban
Several members are pushing for legislation to combat substance abuse and strengthen public health standards:
• Drug Abuse Crisis: Mr. Tanvir Sadiq seeks to introduce a bill for the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and addressing the drug abuse crisis through the establishment of addiction treatment facilities.
• Bans on Alcohol and Unsafe Food: There is a concentrated effort to impose a complete ban on liquor, with bills proposing a ban in:
• The entire Kashmir Valley.
• The entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (Multiple bills:).
• The Lal Chowk Constituency.
• A related bill seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Act, Samvat 1958.
• Unsafe Food Measures: Mr. Mubarik Gul proposes stringent measures to prevent, detect, and punish offenses related to unhygienic, rotten, and unsafe meat.
• Private Practice Ban for Doctors: Shri Abdul Majeed Bhat (Larmi) is introducing a bill to prohibit private practice by Government doctors to strengthen the public health delivery system.
• Frozen Food Ban: Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah aims to impose a complete ban on the import of frozen/chilled food items from outside the UT to protect local industry and public health.
4. Governance, Vigilance, and Legal Amendments
Bills focusing on good governance, transparency, and amendments to critical laws are also on the agenda:
• Lokayukta Establishment: Mr. M. Y. Tarigami is moving to establish a Lokayukta in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to inquire into allegations of corruption against public servants.
• Asset Declaration Amendment: A bill by Mr. Ajaz Ahmed Jan seeks to amend the Public Men and Public Servants Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions Act, 1983.
• Service Law Amendments: Multiple bills propose amendments to significant service and governance laws, including:
• Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act, 2025.
• Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralization and Recruitment) Act, 2010.
• Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
• Transfer and Posting Regulation: Mr. Nizam Uddin Bhat proposes a bill to regulate the transfer and posting of civil service members to establish a uniform UT-level legal framework.
• Legislative Forum for Human Rights: Mr. Nizam-ud-Din Bhat is introducing a bill for the establishment of a Legislative Forum for Monitoring and Protection of Human Rights.
5. Education, Environment, and Culture
Other bills seek to bring reforms in education and environmental protection:
• Compulsory Vocational Education: Mr. Balwant Singh Mankotia proposes a bill for compulsory Vocational and Skilled Education in Jammu and Kashmir.
• BPL Reservation in Private Education: Mir Saifullah is moving a bill to make it obligatory for Private Educational Institutions to provide reservation to Children of Below Poverty Line and Antyodaya Anna Yojana Families.
• River and Karewa Protection: Dr. Syed Bashir Ahmad Veeri is bringing forward two key environmental bills: one to restore and safeguard River Jhelum from degradation and pollution, and another to regulate and curb the destruction of Karewas by way of excavation.
• Kashmiri Hindu Shrines: A bill by Shri Arjun Singh Raju aims for the better Management, protection, administration and governance of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious places.
• Ban on Online Gaming: Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad proposes a bill to prohibit Online Gaming and Fantasy Leagues.
The sheer volume and range of bills introduced by the private members highlight the broad spectrum of issues that members of the J&K Assembly are keen to address in the upcoming session. All members are scheduled to move for leave to introduce their respective bills, followed by the actual introduction.
