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| I resigned after Akbar Lone pressurised me to regularise more daily wagers of Kashmir: Sham | | Rakes up alleged issues of fake appointments, engagement of substitutes against KPs migrated out of Kashmir | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Oct 26: At a time when state BJP leaders are faced with severe public criticism for not taking up pro-Jammu issues at the appropriate platforms and then pretending to be pleading the cause of Jammuites, Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma, who Friday last resigned as Flood Control Minister, shot into limelight with one stroke today when he said he had sacrificed his Ministry for the cause of daily wagers of Jammu region.
His resignation is perfectly timed and is expected to infuse some confidence in the Congress cadres hitherto demoralised by the Modi wave which they feel is likely to have a great impact in Jammu region too. The people here have been raising voice from time to time against discrimination at the hands of Kashmiri rulers and Sham's this step have won him many admirers in the region.
He himself represents Akhnoor assembly segment where the saffron brigade has already succeeded in increasing its base but by resigning from the ministry and not succumbing to the pressure of NC ministers, he has again consolidated his position in the constituency. PHE daily wagers have already held meetings in his favour across the region.
Talking to media persons here, Sham said he preferred to resign because he could not tolerate discrimination with Jammu region at the hands of NC ministers.
The state cabinet had approved the regularisation of 61,011 daily wagers working in different departments. But objection was later raised by some NC ministers over the list of daily wagers of departments of PHE and irrigation and flood control as prepared by Sham. The list contained 6,679 daily wagers of Kashmir and 17,042 of Jammu region.
Sham said some NC ministers, including higher education minister Akbar Lone, started exerting pressure on him to include in the list more daily wagers of Kashmir. "This was unacceptable. I then showed Lone and the other NC ministers an old list of regularisation of pre-1994 daily rated workers under SRO 64 in PHE/I&FC departments. As per this list, 11,984 daily wagers were regularised in Kashmir division and only 855 in Jammu region. I told them that if we consider these two lists, a total of 17,808 daily wagers will get regularised in Kashmir and 17,897 in Jammu," he said.
They were now left with no other argument. "But Lone kept on insisting me to include in the list more daily wagers of Kashmir," Sham said.
He said there was also unjustified delay on the part of finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather for sending the approved list of daily wagers to GAD (general administration department) for the issuance of notification.
The Congress leader said it was part of the NC's blackmailing tactics. "They wanted to draw political mileage by including more names of daily wagers of Kashmir. Had I allowed it, it would have been at the cost of Jammu people. I will never allow such a thing to happen. I have always taken a stand for Jammu people," he asserted.
Asked if he resigned in a huff, he replied in the negative.
He also brushed aside rumours of his joining BJP and said he was contesting the upcoming election on Congress ticket. "I am a Congressman and will always remain a Congressman," he said.
On the issue of a Hindu chief minister of J&K, Sham said it all depended on the voters. "The constitution does not stop a Hindu from becoming J&K chief minister," the Congress leader said and added, "One needs to be a secular from the core of one's heart. Mere statements in this regard won't make anybody secular."
Sham alleged that there was also another issue of fake appointments and adjustment of substitutes against Kashmiri Pandits who had migrated out of Kashmir.
"We two have great love"
Asked if another reason behind his resignation was Congress leader and Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din who had been holding him responsible for the Kashmir floods, Sham Lal Sharma said, "No it was not like this."
"Actually, we have a great love," he said sarcastically and added that the party high command had already taken a notice of it. |
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