Speaker meets media ahead of Autumn Session; calls for responsible, objective coverage

SRINAGAR : Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, on wednesday chaired a meeting with representatives of the media fraternity ahead of the forthcoming Autumn Session of the Legislative Assembly, scheduled to commence on September 21.
The purpose of the meeting was toseek their suggestions and addressing the issues concerning the smooth and effective coverage of proceedings of the House.
Addressing the representatives of the print, electronic and other media organisations, the Speaker acknowledged their significant role in strengthening the democratic institutions and facilitating communication between the government, the legislature and the people. He said that the media serves as an important bridge between the public and the government, enabling information regarding government schemes, programmes and welfare initiatives to reach the people. It simultaneously provide an effective channel through which public concerns and grievances are brought to the attention of the government and concerned institutions, he added.
He said that the responsibility of the media assumes even greater significance while covering the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, which constitute an important forum for deliberation on matters of public interest and accountability.
Rather stressed the need for accurate, objective and responsible reporting of Assembly proceedings, stating that factual accuracy and the larger public interest should remain the guiding principles of legislative coverage. He urged the media representatives to give due prominence to substantive debates, constructive deliberations and issues of public importance discussed in the House.
The Speaker also emphasized the importance of avoiding any form of misleading or factually incorrect reporting. He urged the media to maintain the sanctity of legislative proceedings while reporting the functioning of the House.
He emphasised that isolated instances of disruption or disorder should not overshadow the substantive legislative business, as excessive focus on such incidents may convey an incomplete picture of the functioning of the House, particularly to the general public and newly elected members. He called for greater emphasis on the quality of debates, discussions and legislative business conducted during the session. He said that the legislature who performs well in debates and discussions shall be given more prominence instead of those who create disturbance and trouble.
Responding to the observations regarding the duration of the forthcoming session, the Speaker placed comparative data regarding the number of sittings held during Monsoon and Budget sessions in various States and Union Territories, providing a factual perspective on the matter.
He informed that several States/UTs have held fewer sittings during their respective Monsoon sessions, including Uttar Pradesh with four sittings, Delhi with three, Rajasthan with two, Haryana with three, Madhya Pradesh with five, Punjab with six, Gujarat with three, Goa with three, Tamil Nadu with three, Bihar with five, Jharkhand with five and Chhattisgarh with five sittings, whereas the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is scheduled to conduct seven sittings during the forthcoming Autumn Session, that too being a Union Territory.
The Speaker further informed that the Legislative Assembly of Assam had conducted a one-day session in June 2025 while pointing out that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly had held 22 sittings during the Budget Session. He stated that it was comparatively higher than the number of sittings conducted by several other legislative assemblies during their corresponding sessions.
During the interaction, representatives of the media fraternity put forth a number of suggestions aimed at facilitating smooth, professional and hassle-free coverage of the Assembly proceedings.
The journalists raised issues relating to regulation and timely issuance of media passes, particularly for accredited journalists, proper accommodation and working facilities for regional, national and international media, improvement of the sound system within the Legislative Assembly, hassle-free entry of authorised media personnel, adequate Wi-Fi connectivity and arrangements for parking of media vehicles. The representatives also stressed the need for ensuring appropriate logistical and technical facilities so that journalists can discharge their professional responsibilities effectively during the session.
Responding to the concerns regarding parking and entry of media personnel, the Speaker informed the media persons that the General Administration Department (GAD) has already issued a notification to facilitate hassle-free entry of the authorised vehicles of accredited media persons into the Civil Secretariat during the Assembly Session.
He informed that a designated parking area has been identified for the accredited media vehicles, thereby addressing an important logistical concern raised by the media fraternity.
The Speaker assured the representatives that their suggestions and genuine concerns would be examined in coordination with the concerned authorities and that necessary facilitation would be ensured for smooth and professional coverage of the proceedings.
Besides Secretary JKLA Manoj Kumar Pandit senior officers from Information Department, including Secretary in Information Department, Munir-ul-Islam; Special Secretary Information Department Pawan Singh Rathore, Joint Director Information Kashmir Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, Deputy Director Information PR Javed Ahmad Rather, SSP Security Civil Secretariat Security along with representatives of the print, electronic and other media organizations were present in the meeting.