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| Opposition readying up to corner ruling coalition | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
Jammu, June 21: Though the budget session of the state legislature is to commence from July 27,the opposition parties have started oiling their muscles for cornering the Government on various issues. The Finance Minister, A.R.Rather,had indicated earlier that the budget session may be convened in July or August. The delay was the result of yet to be concluded discussions with the central Government over the financial support it would get from Delhi which alone could determine the size of the current financial year's annual plan. Here again one thing is intriguing. During the Congress led coalition Government in the state the budget session of the state legislature would be summoned in January instead of March on the plea that such an exercise could help the Government to extend the working period in Jammu and Kashmir where usually the working season remains limited because of vagaries of weather. If the state Government could fix the date for the budget session of the legislature in January what was then the problem at present ? Before January one does not expect the state Government to finalise its discussion with the Planning Commission and if the budget session could be held without such discussion and on the basis of verbal assurances from the central Government regarding its financial support to the annual plan the same could have been put into practice soon after the end of the Lok Sabha election. Well the state could not fix the date for the budget session in February or March because the Congress led UPA Government was not certain on its comeback. Since it was not sure about retaining power how could it make a commitment on its financial support for the budget making in Jammu and Kashmir. After over a month the budget session of the legislature will start but the opposition, comprising the PDP, the BJP and the Panthers Party,have begun their exercise on preparing bills, resolutions and questions which they plan to table in the two houses of the state legislature.The PDP is dead set to rock the House with its demand for demilitarisation, repeal of the Armed Forces (special powers)Act and end to human rights violations. The Panthers Party and the BJP are getting ready for kicking up scenes in the House over the issue of delay in setting up fresh delimitation commission. Leaders of these two parties say that imbalances in the Assembly segments between the Jammu region and the Kashmir valley is the root cause of regional discrimination. The PDP leadership is of the firm opinion that withdrawal of troops from within the civilian areas and the repeal of AFSPA would considerably reduce the incidence of human rights violations.
As far as demilitarisation and the repeal of the AFSPA is concerned the National Conference may not be in a position to oppose it on the floor of the House.Similarly the Congress may not have the teeth and the face to oppose the BJP and the Panthers Party demand for fresh delimitation of Assembly constituencies. The Congress legislators may be forced to either lend support to the demand for fresh delimitation or they may sit silent spectators. Their opposition to such demand will be violation of their promise and commitment they had made during the recent Assembly and the Lok Sabha election particularly in the Jammu region. There is no wonder that fresh delimitation and repeal of AFSPA and demilitarisation may generate regional divide because Jammuites oppose demilitarisation and those in the Kashmir valley are not favourable to fresh delimitation
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