Bashir Assad
Jammu, Feb 18: What could be termed unprecedented in the history of state legislature, commotion reigned supreme today in the Legislative Assembly with Deputy Speaker, Sartaj Madni and Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo exchanging heated argument over corruption and violation of norms and concocted feasibility for establishment or upgradation of schools in Education Department. The only difference was that the proceedings went concurrently with the din.
The trouble started when Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand started reading out written reply to a question of Sayed Bashir Ahmad about up-gradation of schools in Rajpora constituency, members from entire opposition wanted to ask supplementary questions alleging that norms were being often flouted in Education department when it comes to creation or up-gradation of schools and that the department has become den of corruption.
Deputy Speaker Mohammad Sartaj Madni in an unprecedented practice too asked supplementary regarding the four times transfer and subsequent retention of a ZEO in his Qazigund constituency and upgradation of a primary school in close vicinity of a high school to the middle level by throwing norms into the wind. However, before the Minister could respond to his supplementary, Sakina Itoo intervened alleging that responsibility should be fixed as to who has stalled the up-gradation of the Primary School in Devsar constituency and in the capacity of MLA of the area buck stops their with Madni. On this Sartaj gave an open challenge to Sakina asking her to visit the area with him and see if High School was not situated just 300 meters away from the primary school at Bonsangdan village in Qazigund zone. "Lets have on- spot visit to the area, if High School was not situated just 300 meters away from the primary school proposed for upgradation, I will leave the chair, and in case I am proved right you will resign", Sartaj told Sakina. Sartaj said a ZEO in Qazigund was transferred four times on corruption charges but all the four times he was retained and his transfer orders cancelled by the department.
The duo were shouting at each other that MLA Shangus, Peerzada Mansur Hussain shouted from the back that the Education Department has become den of corruption where norms and feasibility are being sold in against cash.
"Education Department is run by thieves and you are the big thieves" Mansur shouted at the minister, Sakina Itoo.
Later, talking to media persons in his office chamber, Sartaj Madni said that while throwing norms into the dustbin, a primary school in Bonsangdan village in close vicinity to the high school was promoted to the next higher level but he didn't allow it. He further said that ZEO in Qazigund was retained four times at his place of posting only because he was warming the palms of local coalition workers. "I was making this point and was expecting a response from the Deputy Chief Minister but Sakina without having any knowledge about the issue tried to poke her nose. I challenge her to visit with me to the area and if I am proved wrong I will resign and if she proved wrong then she should step down", Sartaj said.
When asked whether there was a precedence about Deputy Speaker raising issues or asking supplimentaries, Sartaj said, "I least bother about the precedence, what really matters is the public interest and it was in the larger interest of the public that I raised an issue and registered my protest against the large scale corruption going in the state. There are scams, scandals surfacing each day, so much so the vital institutions like BOPEE have been bulldozed by the present regime through its corrupt practices, said Sartaj. Pertinently Deputy Speaker has been staging walkout along with his party colleagues, joining the cause of agitating legislators in the House as well by standing silently holding placard along with other PDP legislators since the beginning of the budget session. However, the State Government today found itself in the soup facing flak when Madni launched a scathing attack on it for corruption and violation of set rules.
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