SRINAGAR: The Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is considering the formation of a House Committee to address demands from newly-elected MLAs for a reduction in the rental charges of MLA hostels in Srinagar and Jammu, sources revealed.
According to sources, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather is likely to constitute a nine-member panel of MLAs to review and potentially revise the rent structure for the hostels located in both capital cities. The demand stems from newly-elected legislators seeking a reduction in the current charges.
Under the existing tariff, sitting MLAs are charged between Rs 300 and Rs 700 per day, while former legislators pay between Rs 400 and Rs 900 per day for accommodations at the hostels, which are managed by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
The MLA hostel in Srinagar gained particular prominence after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 when it was repurposed as a subsidiary jail to house political detainees. On November 14, 2019, 34 prominent leaders, including Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone, bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, and National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, were relocated to the hostel due to the high cost of their lodging at SKICC. (KNO)
