Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 21: The Legislative Assembly today witnessed unprecedented protests from the entire Opposition including both from Kashmir and Jammu while ruling National Conference members also voiced concern over what they called “inequality” in sanction of Sub Health Centres (SHCs) across the State by the Government especially the former Health Ministers.
After adjourning the House for 20 minutes amid massive uproar created by the entire Opposition, Speaker Mubarak Gul announced formation of a House Committee to look into the sanction of the SHCs. He said he would announce composition of the House Committee soon.
The concern from the ruling National Conference members over sanction of the SHCs could be well gauged from the fact that NC provincial president from Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, Javed Dar, former Minister and Peer Afaq were also heard supporting the setting up of the House Committee to go through the sanctions.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir said the Government has no objection in constitution of the House Committee.
Trouble erupted when PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sham Lal Sharma was replying to a question of PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat during Question Hour on behalf of the Health Minister, whose charge hasn’t been given to any Minister so far after the resignation of Congress MLA Shabir Khan from the Health Ministry on the charges of molestation.
All PDP members including their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Basharat Bukhari, Abdul Haq Khan and Independent MLA from Langet Engineer Rashid trooped into middle of the House alleging discrimination in allotments of the SHCs saying that Opposition held segments and particular areas had been ignored.
Ms Mufti pointed out that only four SHCs have been sanctioned in Darhal (an Assembly constituency held by PDP MLA Zulfikar Choudhary) while 40 Centres had been allotted to Rajouri (a segment held by the former Health Minister and Congress MLA from Rajouri Shabir Khan).
There was massive uproar in the House even as the Speaker announced end of the Question Hour with almost all PDP MLAs excepting Mehbooba Mufti trooping into Well of the House protesting discrimination in the grants of SHCs to the constituencies represented by the Opposition parties and demanding a probe.
Basharat Bukhari, Haq Khan, Nizam Bhat, Dr Shaffi Ahmed Wani, Peer Mansoor Shah and Rafi Ahmad Mir apart from Engineer Rashid were near the Well of the House protesting the discrimination and demanding setting up of a Housing Committee to look into the sanctions of the Health Centres.
Sham Sharma, who replied to the question of Nizam Bhat and some supplementaries raise by the Opposition members tried to convince the agitated MLAs saying the entire process of allotments of the PHCs has been done in a scientific way using remote sensing as per the guidelines of the Government of India including `Time to Care’ under which distance between one centre to another should be of half an hour.
He said not all the allegations being leveled by the PDP members were right. “It’s not that everything you say is right,” he added.
PDF MLA and former Minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin also joined the protests.
As the PDP, PDF MLAs and Engineer Rashid continued to protest, entire Opposition from Jammu including the members of BJP, NPP and JSM were also on their feet and started shouting `Jammu Kay Saath Insaaf Karo, Insaaf Karo (do justice with Jammu)’ and `Jammu Kay Saath Vedbhav Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo (stop discrimination with Jammu region)’.
Simultaneously, the PDP members shouted `Kashmir Ko Apna Haq Do, Haq Do (give Kashmir its right)’ and `Kashmir Kay Saath Insaaf Karo, Insaaf Karo (do justice with Kashmir)’.
Amid a complete din in the House, Speaker Mubarak Gul adjourned the House at 11.05 am.
As the House resumed its sitting at 11.25 am, Mr Gul said the MLAs cutting across party lines have voiced concern over sanction of Health Centre. He added that he would keep a discussion on the subject in the House and then take a decision. “I shall be convinced before taking a decision,” he said.
However, this didn’t convince any of the members and entire PDP was on the feet again while Engineer Rashid was in the middle of the House passing some provocative remarks on the fate of Kashmir while alleging discrimination in sanction of Health Centre.
National Conference MLAs including Nasir Aslam Wani, Irfan Shah, Javed Dar and Peer Afaq were also on their feet. Mr Wani supported the demand of House Committee to look into the sanction of the allotment of Health Centres.
The Speaker pointed out that a House Committee has already been working on the health.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister and NC MLA Saifullah Mir said the concerns of the members were genuine and the House should debate the issue.
All MLAs of BJP, NPP and JSM were also on their feet and indulged in massive shouting demanding setting up of Delimitation Commission to increase the Assembly seats of Jammu.
BJP MLAs Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore and others, NPP MLAs-Harshdev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yashpal Kundal and JSM legislator Ashwani Sharma alleged that Jammu was being discriminated for long and demanded setting up of the Delimitation Commission.
PDF MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin was protesting from his seat while several PDP MLAs including Basharat Bukhari, Haq Khan and Zahoor Mir were again in the Well of the House alleging discrimination in the allotment of health centre.
The PDP members started shouting “we want justice’ while Opposition MLAs from Jammu shouted “65 Saal Say Jammu Kay Saath Beinsaaf Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo (stop discrimination with Jammu going on for past 65 years)’ and `Assembly Seaton Ki Barabari Karo, Barabari Karo (keep Assembly seats of Jammu and Kashmir regions equal)’.
Congress legislators Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, both former Ministers and Ashok Kumar were also seen standing on their seats.
As Engineer Rashid continued to shout from his seat, NC MLA and former Minister Surjit Singh Slathia had heated arguments with him.
“Tum Kaya Kashmir Kay Akele Thekedaar Ho (are you the only custodian of Kashmir’s rights”)”? Mr Slathia shouted at Mr Rashid.
The Speaker also warned Engineer Rashid to take his seat and advised all Opposition members not to make mockery of the House.
The Speaker then agreed to the demand of setting up of the House Committee to look into the sanction of Sub Health Centre in the State. Saifullah Mir said the Government supports the demand of the House Committee.
Congress Minister Sham Sharma, who had replied the question on behalf of the Health Minister, was not present in the House when the Speaker announced the House Committee.
Referring to Sham Sharma’s claim that new Health Centres were given on the basis of remote sensing or scientific way, Mehbooba wanted to know what kind of remote sensing it is when Darhal was given just four centres and Rajouri 40. “It was nothing was complete injustice and discrimination,” she alleged.
Charging National Conference members with “enacting drama” in the House when they were party to the decision, Ms Mufti also passed remarks against a senior ruling party functionary. The Speaker, however, expunged the name of the functionary.
Nasir Aslam Wani had heated arguments with Mehbooba saying she shouldn’t point out the finger at the top functionary and do politics here. Javed Dar, former Minister and NC MLA, also targeted Ms Mufti.
The order was restored in the House after over 40 minutes of uproar in the Assembly including 20 minutes period of adjournment.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Mehbooba said first the Government had done injustice in creation of administrative units and now it was in the setting up of the SHCs.
“The Government is making people to fight with each other by doing discrimination in the sanctions of the Centre,” she lamented.
Mehbooba said: “since this Government came to power, they have been resorting to illegal sharing of all central aided projects whether it is a matter of colleges, schools, medical centres, new administrative units or appointments”.
“As Central Government has awarded us a package of 600 health centres– we wanted to know what criteria was adopted in the distribution of these sub-centres,” she said claiming they have granted over 40 sub-centres in the constituencies of ruling members and ministers while as in the Opposition constituencies they have granted only four.
“This is biggest discrimination as they have adopted no criteria for grant of these sub-centres,” she alleged.
Replying to main question of PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma, on behalf of Health Minister said that 32 Sub-Centres including 21 sanctioned and 11 unsanctioned are in Bandipur constituency besides four PHCs.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat had posed question to the Minister about shortage of staff, equipment and other infrastructure besides alleged discrimination in distribution of health centres in the State.
Speaking over the issue, Jugal Kishore Sharma of BJP also alleged discrimination with constituencies of Jammu region in the grant of sub-centres and demanded a probe into it.
Follow our WhatsApp channel