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| Members cut across lines to protest `discrimination' | | Furore over medical colleges in LA | | Kunal Shrivatsa
JAMMU, Feb 16: Alleging discrimination in sanctioning four Medical Colleges by the Union Government, the legislators cutting across party lines created furore in the State Legislative Assembly here today following which the Speaker had to adjourn the House for about 20 minutes.
The ruckus in the Lower House of the State Legislature began while Question Hour was going on and Minister of State for Power, Vikar Rasool had been replying to a question of Panthers Party MLA, Balwant Singh Mankotia.
While the Minister Vikar Rasool was responding to the query, one of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs Abdul Haq Khan rushed to the well of the House in protest against denial of a Medical College to Kupwara district.
Shouting slogans, the PDP MLA from Lolab, Khan alleged that the Medical Colleges sanctioned by the Centre have been given to selective places while the decision has ignored the other deserving areas.
Demanding a Medical College for Kupwara district, Khan staged a sit-in in the well of the House and said the discriminatory decision is totally unacceptable to the people of Kupwara.
Meanwhile, Speaker State Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul asked the PDP member to occupy his seat and raise the issue only after the Question Hour gets over.
After much persuasion, the PDP MLA finally lifted his 'dharna' from the well of the House and returned back to his seat.
As soon as the Question Hour got over, the members from opposition as well as treasury benches again raised the issue of denial of Medical Colleges in their respective districts in one voice.
Demanding sanction of Medical Colleges in their districts, Panthers Party MLA from Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia, PDP MLA from Lolab Abdul Haq Khan, PDP MLA from Darhal Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, National Conference (NC) MLA from Poonch-Haveli Ajaz Ahmad Jan, NC MLA from Kalakote Rashpal Singh, NC MLA from Amira Kadal Nasir Aslam Wani and NC MLA from Vijaypur Surjit Singh Slathia raising slogans alleged that the Union Health Ministry has ignored their areas while taking the decision of sanctioning four new health institutions in different parts of the state.
"Poonch-Rajouri fittingly deserves a Medical College," Jan said while raising the issue in the House.
While Jan was speaking, at the same time PDP MLA Choudhary Zulfikar Ali also joined him and protested against the alleged discrimination.
Zulfikar shouted that the proposed railway line announced for Rajouri-Poonch was also shelved, and now a Medical College has been denied to the border districts.
"We will not tolerate the injustice meted out to Poonch-Rajouri, PDP MLA shouted from his seat. He was also joined by other PDP legislators with regard to establishment of the Medical Colleges.
Amid uproar, Speaker Mubarak Gul tried his best to pacify the protesting members and said that their concern will be conveyed to the Union Health Ministry for consideration; however, the agitated legislators refused to relent and continued their protest thereby disrupting the proceedings of the House.
In the meantime, the NC MLAs Jan and Rashpal up on their feet kept on shouting and soon the duo stormed into the well of the House as a mark of protest where they were stopped by the marshals. Since the House was witnessing the noisy scenes, the Speaker finally decided to adjourn its proceedings for a while.
As soon as the House proceedings resumed again, the members once more raised the issue following which Speaker Mubarak Gul asked the agitating Members to bring a joint resolution conveying gratitude to the Central Government from the entire House as also the concern of some left out areas.
Appreciating the concern of some members, who raised the issue regarding setting up of Medical Colleges in their districts, the Speaker said that the resolution, if adopted by the House will be forwarded to the Central Government with a request to consider the demand of some more hilly districts for establishing Medical Colleges.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah and Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani also supported the move and assured the members that the joint resolution adopted by the House will be sent to the Central Government for accommodation of more districts for establishing Medical Colleges as per the merit and demand of the people.
After getting an assurance on adopting a resolution over the issue, the protesting members suspended their protest.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had sanctioned four medical colleges for Kathua, Doda, Anantnag and Baramulla districts of the state. |
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