Nizam-ud-Din Bhat chairs Ethics Committee meeting

SRINAGAR : A meeting of the Ethics Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was held today at Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat, here, under the Chairmanship of its Chairman MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat,.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Committee including MLA, Gh. Mohi-ud-Din Mir; MLA, Salman Sagar; MLA, Hilal Akbar Lone; MLA, Zafar Ali Khatana; MLA, Peerzada Feroz Ahmad; MLA, Satish Kumar Sharma; MLA, Surinder Kumar; MLA, Randhir Singh and MLA Arvind Gupta.
The Chairman briefly highlighted the role and importance of the Ethics Committee. He said that the Committee has been constituted to uphold the dignity, decorum and prestige of the House by ensuring that the highest standards of parliamentary ethics, conduct and discipline are maintained by the Members.
The Chairman emphasized that the Committee bears a significant responsibility in promoting accountability, transparency, integrity and ethical values in public life, thereby strengthening the public confidence in democratic institutions. He further impressed upon the Members that it is the collective responsibility of the Committee to preserve the sanctity of the Legislature by fostering exemplary standards of conduct among public representatives.
The Chairman further proposed that, with a view to create greater awareness about parliamentary ethics and democratic values, the Committee should undertake interaction programmes with the students and faculty members of the Departments of Law and Political Science of the University of Kashmir and the University of Jammu. He observed that such interactions would provide an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback and perspectives from the academic community regarding the role, conduct and responsibilities of legislators in a democratic system.
The Chairman also suggested that the Committee should pay a visit to the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to interact with the Chief Justice and other Judges for an exchange of views on ethical standards in public life. He said that such interactions would be beneficial in enriching the Committee’s understanding of ethical governance and in strengthening ethical values, not only within the Legislature but also in the conduct of public representatives and public servants.
After detailed deliberations, the Committee unanimously endorsed the proposals of the Chairman. The Committee further resolved to undertake a study visit to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for interaction with its Ethics Committee, which has been widely acknowledged for its effective functioning and best practices. It was decided that the study visit to the Kerala Legislative Assembly shall be undertaken during the third week of the ensuing month, subject to the approval of the competent authority and completion of the requisite administrative formalities.
The meeting was also attended by Shabir Ahmad Wani, Under Secretary LA, Naqeeb Jeelani, Incharge Committees and other officials of the Legislative Assembly.