| Opposition take Govt to task on use of pellet guns, stage walkout | | | Bashir Assad
Jammu, Feb 16: The Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly witnessed unruly scenes today when opposition PDP, BJP, NPP, PDF and independent MLA, Er. Rashid separately raised issues of use of pellet guns on protesters in Shopian, regularization of daily wagers and poor power scenario in Udhampur district. The entire opposition later staged walkout from the House in protest.
Opposition PDP on Sunday morning walked out of the Legislative Assembly after uproar against the use of pellet guns in Shopian, some days back. Three protesters eyes were injured critically when hit by pellets in Gugloro, Shopian after the killings of three militants during an encounter. As the legislative Assembly met in the winter capital today, after two days break, PDP members stood and protested against the using of pellets in Kashmir.
PDF chairman, Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Er Rashid also raised registered their protest against the usage of Pellets in Kashmir.
Er. Rashid and Abdul Haq Khan came into the well with PDP president raising slogans against the government. Mehbooba Mufti for the first time was scene raising slogans herself while her party legislators were enchanting back by responding to her sloganeering.
On the other hand all BJP, NPP and JSM legislators too came into the first row raising anti- government slogans and demanding statement from the government on backdoor appointments and poor power scenario in the region.
PDP members insisted that opposition leader, Mehbooba Mufti should be allowed to raise the issue of pellet gun victims who have lost their eye sight, however, Speaker, Mubarak Gul asked the opposition to allow the transaction of normal business and raise the issue after the question hour is over. However, all opposition including BJP, NPP, Hakim Mohammad Yasin and PDP legislators continued sloganeering over different issues. Amis sloganeering, Speaker continued with the normal business of the house. Amid din PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the state government of using bullet guns and pepper guns against civilian protestors, an act she said left many youth deprived of their vision. Mehbooba said the use of these weapons at protests had caused loss and impairment of vision in the Kashmir Valley and people had to pay heavily for medical treatment. "These poor families have to take their children, who have become victims of pellet guns and pepper guns used by the security forces, to Amritsar and other places outside the state for treatment," she said. "These children belong to poor families who cannot afford costly treatment." She demanded an immediate stop to the use of such weapons against civilian protestors. She also demanded financial assistance from the state government to the victims.
BJP and NPP legislators demanded parity in electricity tariffs and supply to the people living in the Jammu region and alleged that the people there were charged higher rates. Alleging the government of using substandard spare parts for repairing damaged transformers in Udhampur district, Harshdev Singh of NPP said that 50 crore contract was given to a private firm (LMT) for repairmen and installation of transformers, however, 125 transformers stand damaged alone in Udhampur district and the one repaired could not function.
BJP and NPP Legislators also demanded that the services of the daily wagers, especially those of the power development department and the state agriculture department, be regularized. The opposition barring Hakim Muhammad Yasin and Er. Rashid latter staged walkout from the house. While PDP members staged walkout in protest against the use of pellet guns on protesters in Shopian, BJP and NPP members walked out of the House for government not having a policy to regularize daily wagers and casual labourers. After the opposition walkout, the proceedings of the assembly went normally. |
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