Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 26: The PDP-BJP coalition today formed 10 members Coordination Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, which will hold its first meeting here tomorrow with a view to discuss and initiate steps to implement `Agenda of the Alliance’ and work out other issues between the two partners to run the Government smoothly, efficiently and effectively.
The Coordination Committee comprised five members each from PDP and BJP.
The BJP members in the Coordination Committee included Dr Nirmal Singh, Deputy Chief Minister, Incharge Power Development Department, Housing and Urban Development, Jugal Kishore Sharma, State party president, Thupstan Chhewang, Lok Sabha member from Ladakh, Shamsher Singh, Rajya Sabha member and Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh.
The PDP members comprised party president Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tariq Hamid Qarra, the two Lok Sabha members, Haj and Auqaf Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri and Education Minister Naeem Akhter.
The first meeting of the Coordination Committee will be held at 8 pm tomorrow at the Chief Minister’s residence over dinner.
Dr Nirmal Singh told the Excelsior that first meeting of the Coordination Committee will be held here tomorrow. He said the Committee would meet at least once in a month or as and when the need arises to thrash out the issues, if any, between the alliance partners and take steps to take forward `Agenda of the Alliance’, which was announced by the two parties on March 1 after the new Government was sworn-in.
Dr Singh said the maintenance of good coordination between the two parties, which have formed the alliance for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, and run the Government efficiently, smoothly and effectively with focus on resolving all issues faced by all three regions of the State would be taken up in the meeting.
BJP MP from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, who is lone representative from Ladakh region in the Coordination Committee, said he will not be able to attend the meeting as he was in Leh and got the message only in the evening. However, he added, he would convey his issues telephonically and join the future meetings.
“The Coordination Committee is good. It will help in better coordination in the Government and solve the issues faced by all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and hoped the new Government will take all regions and people on board and resolve the problems faced by them.
Haj and Auquaf Minister and veteran PDP leader, Abdul Rehman Veeri, the only fourth consecutive time MLA in the coalition Government, said the Coordination Committee will discuss the measures for better coordination between the coalition partners and implementation of `Agenda of the Alliance’.
Sources said the Coordination Committee will ensure smooth functioning of the alliance and the PDP-BJP coalition Government and suggest from time to time various initiatives to be taken for overall well being of the people of the State, address their issues and take measures for speedy implementation of the `Agenda of the Alliance’, which was formed by the two parties before entering into an alliance and cobble up the coalition Government.
Sources said the Coordination Committee could also discuss the nomination of eight MLCs to the Legislative Council and election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman to the Legislative Council.
While posts of three nominated MLCs were vacant, five MLCs were retiring tomorrow. They included Chairman Amrit Malhotra.
The coalition can recommend names of eight MLCs to the Governor for nomination to the Legislative Council anytime after tomorrow evening. The PDP and BJP were likely to share four seats each. With nominations, the PDP-BJP coalition strength in the Upper House will reach 19 with effective strength of 34 in the House of 36. There were two vacancies in the Council from the quota of Urban Local Bodies.
Sources said the coalition partners will hold election of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council only after eight nominations as they will then command majority in the House and would be in a position to get their leaders elected to both the posts.
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