Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 3: In a bid to corner the PDP-BJP coalition Government, the Congress today moved two adjournment motions in both Houses of the Legislature for Monday seeking revocation of 12.5 per cent Services Tax (ST) imposed on air borne pilgrims of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji and other shrines and discussion on the Government failure to provide relief and rehabilitation to September 2014 flood victims while the National Conference was expected to move adjournment motion on overall working of the Government with particular reference to delay in rehabilitation of flood victims and recent spurt in killings.
The Congress legislators today submitted two adjournment motions separately in Legislative Assembly and Council tomorrow for suspension of entire business on Monday and taking up discussion on the motions moved by them in both Houses of the Legislature while the main opposition party, the National Conference was likely to move a separate adjournment motion in the Assembly for Monday, the next working day of Legislature after tomorrow’s holiday, seeking suspension of business to discuss overall working of the Government.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta told the Excelsior that the Assembly Secretariat has received two adjournment motions from the Congress legislators for discussion on Monday. A decision on the adjournment motions will be taken as per the Rules and conveyed to the House during its next sitting on Monday, he added.
One of the Resolutions moved by Congress MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori along with Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Usmaan Majid, Choudhary Akram, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Haji Abdul Rashid, Mumtaz Khan and Ghulam Ahmad wanted suspension of the Assembly business on Monday and discussion on 12.5 per cent Services Tax imposed by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu on the helicopter services of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji, Amarnath ji, Machail Mata ji and other such shrines.
Further, Saroori said, the order would also cover air ambulance services and put burden on the patients. He said the PDP-BJP Government order will reduce flow of tourists to Jammu and Kashmir, which has already gone down this year, a fact itself admitted by the Government.
“The Government should take steps to promote tourism and not to demote it as several people were linked to the tourism business,’’ Saroori, a third time MLA and former Cabinet Minister said.
Congress Deputy Legislature Party leader Aijaz Khan, also a third time MLA and former Minister and all other party MLAs, have moved another adjournment motion in the Assembly seeking discussion in the House on Monday on the Government failure to provide relief and rehabilitation to September 2014 flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leaders said the similar adjournment motions have been moved by Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga and other MLCs in the Upper House for Monday.
Sources said the National Conference has not moved any adjournment motion in the Assembly so far but it was expected to move one motion tomorrow for suspension of the House business on Monday for discussion on overall working of the PDP-BJP coalition Government with special reference to delay in providing relief and rehabilitation to September 2014 flood victims and recent spurt in the killings.
NC has 15 members in the Assembly and Congress 12.
Sources said both the major Opposition parties want to corner the Government on host of issues and expose their differences.
The PDP and BJP were clearly divided on the imposition of Services Tax on pilgrims of religious shrines, who undertake journey by air. The Finance Minister hasn’t withdrawn the order despite strong opposition by the BJP including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh.
Similarly, the PDP has repeatedly sought early release of flood package for the Government but the Central Government, headed by the BJP, has delayed it.
However, the PDP-BJP Alliance partners under the guidance of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has already devised their strategy to stay united in the Legislature and don’t allow the Opposition to expose their differences, if any.
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