Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 26: Justifying his decision of tendering resignation from the Council of Ministry in the Coalition Government, senior Congress leader and Minister for PHE Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma today alleged that his Cabinet colleagues from National Conference stalled the regularization of Casual Workers only because number of such beneficiaries from Jammu was more.
“Because of their regional bias, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather and the Minister for Higher Education Mohd Akbar Lone sabotaged the much awaited move on this human issue,” he said while talking to media persons during a crowded press conference here today, soon after reaching Jammu from Srinagar.
Sham Lal alleged that Akbar Lone resorted to blackmailing tactics over the number of Casual Workers and even offered a quid pro quo if some of his men were accommodated in the list of Casual Workers through backdoor.
“On Friday morning, the NC Minister (Akbar Lone) approached me and asked to include the names of 500 persons in back date and after I refused to do so, he said that Cabinet approval could not be accorded to the proposal for regularization of Casual workers because the number of beneficiaries was more from Jammu,” he said.
While elaborating, Sham Lal said that after the Cabinet Sub-Committee submitted its report on framing of Government policy on regularization of Casual and Seasonal Labourers, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself assured approval of the recommendations by circulating Cabinet memo on very next day and also issued necessary instructions in this regard to the Finance Minister A R Rather. “However, the next day morning, when I reached Civil Secretariat along with Minister for Urban Development Nawang Rigzin Jora, the Secretary GAD informed that no such Cabinet memo was prepared,” he said and held the Finance Minister A R Rather responsible for the same.
“Soon I came to know than the Finance Minister had sabotaged the cause of Casual Workers, another NC Minister (Akbar Lone) approached me seeking illegal favour in lieu of Cabinet approval and after my refusal, he told me clearly that they his party could not support the move because of greater number of beneficiaries from Jammu,” Sham recollected.
“I sought to explain the NC Minister that Jammu had greater number of Casual Workers in PHE, I&FC because of more schemes here but Mr Lone refused to understand my logic and kept on demanding to increase the number of beneficiaries from Kashmir for a Cabinet approval,” Sham explained and added that he also reminded the NC Minister about the 13:1 ratio of Kashmir and Jammu Helpers in PHE, I&FC Department, who were regularized earlier under SRO-64, but all in vain.
Pertinent to mention that under SRO-64, 11984 pre- 1994 Helpers in PHE, I&FC Department were regularized and 11129 of them were from Kashmir while only 885 were from Jammu.
This time, there was total 23711 Casual Labourers/ Temporary/ Need Based Labourers, including ITI trained, engaged in the PHE, I&C Department since 1994, who were to be regularized. While 17031 are from Jammu division, 6679 belong to Kashmir.
Alleging that a few other NC Minister also approached him for a quid pro quo by keeping rules aside and adjust their men in the list of Casual Workers to be regularized, Sham Lal said that he preferred to resign from the ministry instead of comprising with his principles and the interests of Jammu. “I am not against any region or religion but as a custodian of my people, how can I ignore them and their rights,” he asked.
Replying to a query, Sham Lal admitted that support to him from his own party for pursuance of the issue of Casual Workers was not sufficient. However, he ruled out joining Bharatiya Janata Party and said that similar speculations were agog in 2008 when he had visited Geeta Bhawan Jammu while extending support to the Amarnath land agitation.
On the question of timing of his resignation and allegations of a political stunt to gain public sympathy, Sham Lal rebutted by asking to mention even a single moment throughout his political career when he did not raise the issue concerning Jammu.
Earlier, a rousing reception was accorded to Sham Lal Sharma on his arrival at Jammu from Srinagar after stepping down as Minister over the issue of Casual Workers. People from different walks of life, including Congress workers, intellectuals, PHE daily wagers and INTUC leaders thronged Jammu Airport to express their solidarity with the leader. They profusely garlanded Mr Sharma, showered flower petals on him and took him upto his residence Purkhu in a strong motorcade amid chanting slogans “Jammu ki Mazboori hai Sham Lal Sharma Zaroori hai”.
The motorcade culminated at Purkhu, where Sham Lal Sharma addressed the gathering and revealed the circumstances which led to his resignation from the Council of Ministers.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included, former MP, Madan Lal Sharma, Vice Chairman, OBC Advisory Board, Kuldeep Verma, president, INTUC, J&K, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Shashi Sharma and others.
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