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| 'Irregularities, discrimination in fund allocation' | | Entire opposition on boycott, demand probe by House committee | | KUNAl SHRIVATSA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 5:
The allegations from the opposition which resounded in Legislative Assembly today that ruling partners were partial with their constituency centric approach in distribution of additionalities, allocation of development units in the key ministeries led to their firm demand on setting up a House Committee to probe the 'irregularties' before the entire opposition staged walkout and boycotted the proceedings.
Legislative Assembly today again went into bedlam as the entire opposition rocked the House with noisy protests followed by a walkout over the alleged biased and
discriminatory allocation of funds in constituencies being represented by the MLAs other than the ruling National Conference and Congress.
It was for the first time that the entire opposition including PDP, BJP, Panthers Party and JSM, CPI (M), PDF and some independent members unitedly joined the chorus of
protest against the government.
The House plunged into pandemonium during the Question Hour as the opposition members expressing dissatisfaction and objections over the reply of Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma to a query of PDP MLA Choudhary Zulfkar Ali stood up and sought a
reply on the "discriminatory role" of the government in allotting funds under different sectors for various assembly segments in the state.
The entire opposition on its feet demanded a House Committee to probe the alleged discrimination in distribution of funds and misuse of public money by the Ministers in Omar-led coalition government.
The Health Minister was replying to a starred question raised by PDP MLA regarding criteria adopted for the up-gradation of various health institutions and the Constituency wise details of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs)/Community Health Centres (CHCs) upgraded during the past three years,
The Opposition members including Panthers Party MLA Harshdev Singh, M Y Tarigami of CPI(M) and Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari of PDP asked the Minister to furnish details of the funds allocation and newly established PHCs as well as CHCs in
different constituencies especially the segments represented by the opposition parties.
The annoyed opposition MLAs particularly Harsh Dev Singh was vociferous in launching a scathing attack on the treasury benches for alleged discrimination in the allocation of funds. He entered into a heated argument with the Health Minister.
Harsh Dev said,
“Mere Log Haije Se Mar Gaye …. Unhe 20 Kilometer Paidal Hi Dawa Lene Jana Padta Hai Kyonki Mujhe Ek Bhi Health Centre Nahin Mila ….. Health Minister Saheb Ne Apni Constituency Mein 6 Health Center Khole …. Kahin Kahin to 8 Bhi Diye…. Yeh Loot Khasoot Nahin Chalegi. (My people are dying of Cholera for want of health care facilities …. I was not even allotted a single Health Centre where as the concerned Minister has established 6 centres in his constituency while opened 8 centres in some other areas.”
Gauging the mood of the opposition benches, the Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather tried to intervene while rejecting the allegations; however, the opposition members stood up on their feet and did not allow Rather to speak. Soon they
started to shout slogans against the alleged discriminatory policy of the government.
The opposition shouted, “Loot Khasoot Band Karo, Chor Bazaari Band Karo. (Stop the rule of misappropriation, loot and bungling of the government exchequer).”
While Harsh Dev Singh jumped on the bench and shouted angrily over the alleged discriminatory policy of the government, the other charged up opposition members led by Mehbooba Mufti, BJP’s Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, JSM member Ashwani Kumar and
Independent Member Engineer Rashid trooped into the well and continued sloganeering.
Demanding formation of a House Committee to look into the ‘irregularities’ in fund allocation, the senior members including Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Harsh Dev Singh and Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari also sought suspension of the coalition government.
They entered into a verbal duel with the Finance Minister and claimed that he had set up eight health centres, 17 schools besides 19 road projects under NABARD have been taken up in his constituency during the past one year.
The opposition alleged that while the Finance Minister allocated huge funds for his assembly segment but discriminated against other constituencies. They also alleged that Rs 1 crore each to the defeated NC candidates has been allotted to undertake development in their respective constituencies.
Amid din in the House, the Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone was repeatedly asking the members to maintain decorum and reoccupy their seats.
Annoyed over the opposition’s behaviour, the Speaker Mohd Akbar Lone said, “Jo Tarikakar Aap Log Apna Rahe Hain… Lagta Hai Ke Sara Control Aapke Haath Mein Hai (It looks like the House is being run on your terms as the manner in which you people are raising issues, suggests so.) Being Legislators such behaviour doesn’t look nice.” Responding to the Speaker’s observation of the opposition members’
attitude, CPI (M) MLA Tarigami said, “Then please define the rights of the Legislators.” Shouting loudly, Tarigami left the House in a huff and staged a walk
out at 10: 45 am protesting the biasness of the government in plan allocation towards opposition members.
As the opposition continued their proests, the PDP MLA Iftikhar Hussain Ansari said, “ Hum Jhagda Karna Nahin Chahte….. Theek Hai Ke NC-Congress Ka Alliance Hai Par Iska eh Matlab Nahin Ke Aapas Mein Hi Bandar Baant Ho. (We do not want to
quarrel… Its true that NC-Cong has alliance but it doesn’t mean that share the whole pie within themselves.)
Meanwhile, the uproarious scenes continued for nearly 20 minutes after which the entire opposition staged a walkout from the House at exactly 11 am. Later, the
combined opposition addressed a press conference in the back lawns of Assembly to give details of the reasons of its protest and walkout.
Alleging discrimination in distribution of funds by the government, entire opposition today demanded constitution of the House Committee to inquire the misappropriation of
funds.
“The entire opposition has joined hands today to expose the unequal distribution of funds,’’ PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told reporters. Mufti further said that either it is a matter of roads, health, education or additionalities, there is no equal distribution of funds by the government.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “We want to know whether Speaker too gets equal share for the development of his constituency or not,’’ and added that we want nothing less than a ‘House Committee’ over allocation of funds.
BJP Legislature Party leader Chaman Lal Gupta also alleged that injustice is being done with the legislators. JKNPP leader in the House, Harsh Dev Singh alleged that state ex-chequer is being misused and public property being ‘looted’ blatantly.
“ This is not the question of biasness just with the legislators but it is the injustice with the 1.25 crore people of the state.” JKNPP leader said He said that the opposition would be meeting shortly to decide further course of action. “We will
discuss whether to attend the proceedings of the House or not.... It would also be delibertaed that if we attend what will be our future strategy.” Harsh Dev informed reporters
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