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| BJP, Panthers , JSM raise pitch over delimitation, panchayats issue | | Uproar in Assembly with ‘Sagar-Harsh verbal duel’, sloganeering | | Early Times Report
Jammu,March 14: It was Kashmir versus Jammu scenario in the state Assembly once again today, this time over the issue of Panchayats and delimitation of Assembly seats. BJP and Panthers Party, which have been quite vocal about the delimitation of the constituencies raise high pitch against the government with NC minister Ali Mohammad Sagar strongly defending the existing position in which Kashmir has got more seats as compared to Jammu. The House witnessed noisy scenes as almost all the opposition members from Jammu while demanding more panchayats in Jammu, accused the government of discriminating with the region. BJP members later staged a walkout.
It was during the question hour Leader of BJP Legislative Party Chaman Lal Gupta raised the matter and asked the government whether Jammu region will be given more panchayats contending that the region has more more villages, near two lakh more electorate and more geographical area than Kashmir Valley. The BJP leader said despite this edge Kashmir Valley has more panchayats and alleged this amounted to gross injustice and discrimination with the Jammu region. Making his point Prof Gupta gave figures that Jammu regionhas 600 villages more than Kashmir Valley.
Even as Minister for Rural Development and Pachayats Ali Mohmmad Sagar gave adetailed reply and noted that there are 4,128 Pachayats in J&K. While 2,164 are in Kashmir region, 1,964 are in Jammu region, the reply did not pacify the Jammu legislators who were seen agitating strongly in favour of the issue. Soon they started raising the slogans like “Jammu Virodhi Sarkar…….Disrimination Ko Door Karo…” and converged near the well of the Assembly.
What irked the agitating legislators was the remark of the NC minister when he said that there is no such proposal before the government to increase the share for Jammu and claimed that the BJP did not raise any eye-brow in the past over the issue. Sagar stood up and said the decision of delimitation was taken in 2004-06 and "being in opposition, you (BJP) did not object." Rural Development Minister also pointed towards the Panthers Party MLA Harsh Dev Singh and said even he did not take up the matter when he was minister. However, this remark drew pointed reaction from Harsh Dev and soon both were seen engaged in hot exchange of words. While members of BJP, JKNPP and JSM shouted slogans accusing the government of discriminating against Jammu, Harsh raised his pitch against Sagar questioning his accusation, contended that when the delimitation exercise was started in 2005, he was not a minister at that time.
"Give more Panchayats to Jammu, they vociferously demanded and walked into the Well of the House. Gupta, Khajuria (BJP) and Harshdev Singh (JKNPP) entered into a verbal duel with Sagar, who accused the BJP of raising the"bogey of discrimination". Sagar strongly defended his position on Kashmir and that of the government and one point of time while hurling accusations, the NC minister was heard saying …..”Kashmir Hamari Jaan Hai…”.
The BJP leaders while contesting the government claims said that the important constituents of 73rd amendment, including age limit of 21 years instead of 25 years, constitution of finance and elections commissions besides district-wise elected chairmen were not considered for the panchayat system in the state.
"This would only be the fourth Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir while other states have conducted it 13 times,"Gupta pointed out.
When noisy scenes and pandemonium prevailed in the House for quite some time, Speaker Mohmmad Akbar Lone intervened and tried to convince the members to maintain order.
However, registering protest over what they claimed as dissatisfactory BJP members staged a walk-out from the Assembly.
In the written reply the Minister said that under Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Raj Act 1989, the panchayats have been empowered to function as units of local self government and amendment of Act is being considered for further empowerment of Panchayats.
He said that government has decided to hold three-tier panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir, dates for which would be notified shortly.
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