Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 29: Trouble has erupted in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil with two coalition partners in the State Government openly clashing in the Council in presence of senior leaders of both the parties with annual budget of the Council worth Rs 92.27 crores claimed to have been passed by Congress led Council “without majority’’.
Leader of Opposition in the Council and National Conference Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, former Chairman of the Council, told the Excelsior on telephone from Kargil that the Congress had lost majority in the Council and the budget they claimed to have passed had, in fact, not been approved by the House due to lack of majority with the ruling party.
On the other, the Council headed by veteran Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie insisted that the budget has been duly passed and the opposition National Conference was unnecessarily raising hue and cry.
Official reports said apart from 30 Councilors (26 elected plus 4 nominated), the meeting was also attended by special invitees including Ladakh Lok Sabha member Thupstan Chhewang, Advisor to Chief Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon and Minister of State for Education Feroz Ahmad Khan.
Reports said as soon as the meeting began at Conference Hall Baroo in Kargil, Leader of Opposition and NC Councilor Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan along with his party Councilors were on their feet and pointed out that Karblaie, Chairman of the Council headed by the Congress, should first prove majority on floor of the House before getting approval of the budget.
“The Congress headed Council has been reduced to minority and, therefore, they can’t approve the budget,’’ the NC members pointed out. They urged the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, who function as the Secretary-cum-CEO of the Council to ensure that the meeting was held as per the Constitution and budget was not allowed to be passed unless Karblaie proved his majority.
Sources said in 30 members House, both NC and Congress have 15 members each. However, since Congress Councilor Karblaie had to preside over the meeting in his capacity as Chairman of the Council, he would have cast vote only in case of tie. Excepting Karblaie, there were 29 members, 15 of whom belonged to NC and 14 to Congress.
“Had the Council take up the vote of confidence, Karblaie led Council would have been defeated,’’ sources said, adding this was the reason that the Congress led Council didn’t take up the confidence vote and straightway pressed for passing of annual budget for 2014-15 worth Rs 92.27 crores. The Congress Councilors claimed that the budget has been passed.
They pointed out that the issue pertaining to no confidence motion moved by the National Conference on March 15 was pending before the court. Since the matter was subjudice, it couldn’t be taken up in the Council, they said.
The meeting ended in the huff with Congress Councilors leaving the venue claiming that the budget has been passed. The NC Councilors continued to raise uproar.
Though both NC and Congress are partners in the State Government, they were at loggerheads in LAHDC, Kargil with no party enjoying clear cut majority.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Councilors of National Conference through Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan have submitted a representation to the Secretary/CEO of LAHDC, Kargil saying the meeting was held by the minority Council as it didn’t enjoy majority figure.
They said the simple majority mark was must to pass the budget but the Congress headed Council lacked the majority.
“During the proceeding, the Chairman couldn’t face and convince the opposition members according to the Act and rules but instead announced in the House that the draft plan stands passed and that’s too without conducting any voice vote as well as ballot vote or proving simple majority, which is not only surprising but “shocking, unlawful and unjustified,’’ the representation said.
They said the draft plan copy where in the column of allocation for the year 2014-15 was kept empty with zero allocation. “How a zero allocation could be passed in the House. It is simply mockery of the House,’’ they added.
The NC Councilors resolved to take the matter to logical and lawful conclusion. They requested the Secretary not to treat the draft plan as passed and refer the case to the Government as required under Section 47(1) for further decision and until then the funds shouldn’t be released.
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