Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 24: Notwithstanding Legislative Assembly Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone writing a letter to Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra regarding formation of a House Committee regarding land encroachment charges against PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, the Chairman has reportedly decided to go ahead with the Committee and the probe.
Official sources told the Excelsior that after the constitution of Housing Committee by the Legislative Council Chairman against Taj on land encroachment charges leveled against him in the Upper House, the Speaker has shot off a letter to Mr Malhotra carrying a representation made to him by the Minister in his capacity as Member of the Assembly.
Taj, a veteran Congress leader, represents Uri segment in the Lower House.
Sources said Mr Lone has forward representation of Taj Mohi-ud-Din, which included the Minister’s explanation to land encroachment charges, to Mr Malhotra.
“The Minister’s letter is self explanatory’’, Mr Lone has reportedly remarked in the letter.
When approached for his comments, Mr Malhotra confirmed that he has received a letter from the Speaker, which carried representation of the Minister and remarks of Mr Lone.
However, he said, the Legislative Council has already constituted the House Committee to inquire into the allegations and the “truth will come out’’. He denied that any member of the House Committee has resigned from the inquiry panel or even offered to do so.
Mr Malhotra said the Chairman and members of the House Committee were nominated with their consent. However, if any member wanted to resign from the Panel due to some reasons he can do so and any other member of the House can replace the member, he added.
The Legislative Council Chairman had constituted the House Committee in autumn session of the Legislature from October 1 to 10 following uproar by National Panthers Party MLC Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah on encroachment of forest land by the Minister.
Headed by PDP MLC Murtaza Ahmad Khan, the House Committee comprised Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Khaleed Najeeb Suhrawardhy, Bashir Ahmad Magray and Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah.
“There is a strong prima facie case that warrants thorough and detailed investigations by a Committee of this House to look into the allegations of forest land encroachment by Taj’’, the Upper House Chairman had said in his remarks after going through the allegations leveled by the PDP MLA and the Minister’s rebuttal.
There had been reports that members of a political party in the House Committee were contemplating to resign but Mr Malhotra set the speculations at rest saying he hasn’t received any resignation so far. “Nor any member has expressed his desire to quite from the Panel’’, he said, adding that consent of all the members including the Chairman had been taken before nominating them to the House Committee.
The House Committee has been asked to submit its report to the Legislative Council Chairman in next session of the Legislature.
It may be mentioned here that NPP MLC Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah had leveled serious allegations of forest land encroachment by Taj Mohi-ud-Din during autumn session of the Legislature held in first part of this month. He had submitted documents of the land encroachment to the Chairman, based on which the House Committee was set up.
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