Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 15: Upper House of the State Legislature today witnessed uproar and noisy scenes as mark of strong protest, after Chairman Legislative Council Haji Anayat Ali directed the watch and wards staff to marshal out senior NC member and former Minister Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo from the House.
The NC member was seeking reply from the Government regarding rehabilitation plan of the Government for the people who are being asked to vacate the area in view of construction of seven hydel power projects in district Kishtwar and also pressing for constitution of a House Committee on the issue. He also sought reply as to why for the last four years, no progress could take place on four hydel power projects including 8 MW Hanswar, 10 MW Bhutt Nallah and 7 MW Aapan Nallah projects of Kishtwar.
On the question of Sajjad Kichloo, Minister of State for Health and Power, Asiea Naqash was responding on behalf of Dy Chief Minister and Incharge Power, Dr Nirmal Singh. The Minister failed to give proper reply and NC member was seeking reply to the main question and his subsequent supplementaries. Kichloo said on four small hydel power projects, even 10 % work could not be executed on them, then in how many years their completion could be expected. “Why on Rattle project, where work was going on smoothly earlier, after coming of new Government, it was stopped.? Give proper reply,” he said.
The Minister replied that work of contractor was not satisfactory, therefore work was stopped on Rattle. She, however, said it was not under the control of State Government. She also said the matter was sub-judice in case of another project and “we can not discuss it here in the House.”
She said that JKSPDC is executing 48 MW Lower Kalnai HEP. It had been awarded to M/S Coastal Projects Ltd and total project cost is Rs 576.87 crore. Rs 108 crore have been spent so far and 10 % progress achieved. September 2017 was the completion date. Due to poor performance of contractor work was delayed. She also mentioned about the families being displaced.
Sajjad Kichloo got agitated and pleaded with the Chairman that let the question be deferred as the Minister was not able to reply properly. He also pleaded that entire Government was sitting Government in the House and proper reply must come. The Minister could not respond up to the mark and members kept on pleading the Chairman, who was not apparently prepared to listen to the Opposition members and repeatedly asked him to sit down as Minister was telling that she would provide him complete reply later.
The NC member pressed then for what they were sitting in the House if the Minister had to reply later. He asked to defer the question. The chairman rejected his plea. Again, the member demanded that House committee be framed for examining rehabilitation work of the villagers displaced in Kishtwar due to setting up of hydel power projects and measures adopted for their welfare.
The Chairman, however, rejected NC member’s plea and went ahead for next question, apparently shielding the Minister. The NC member got agitated and went into the ‘Well’ close to the chair of Chairman, pressing for demand of setting up of House Committee or providing proper reply of his question.
NC Member Showkat Ganai, Cong members Ghulam Nabi Monga and Naresh Gupta intervened and asked Chairman to take congnizance of the demands of Kichloo. They said if Minister is not well prepared, let this question be deferred. They also pleaded that opposition was being ignored and attitude of the Chairman was not fair. As Kichcloo was pressing for his demand to the Chairman, the visibly agitated Chairman, abruptly directed the watch and wards staff to marshall out Sajjad Kichloo from the House at around 11.43 am.
Upon this, all the NC and Congress members turned furious and stood up from their benches and termed this move as unjustified and unfair. They also turned near the Well and raised allegation of “bias and unfair precedents” being set in the House. Congress member Balbir Singh also grappled with the Marshalls when they were pushing Kichloo out of House and objected the move. NC members Jamsheed Lone, Showkat Ganai, Aga Sayed Mehmood, GN Monga, Naresh Gupta and Sham Lal Bhagat also lodged strong protest and went near the Well. Amidst protest they also staged walk out when Kichloo was marshalled out. The noisy scenes continued for about seven minutes. Some PDP and BJP members also indulged in verbal clashes during the din.
Then for the entire day the Opposition NC and Congress stayed away from the proceedings describing the decision of the Chairman as “one sided and unjustified.” With the intervention of Minister for RDD Abdul Haq Khan and Ramesh Arora and a few members went out side to bring opposition inside the House but they did not return.
Later, talking to media persons, Sajjad Kichloo said that he was feeling insulted as neither he was disrupting proceedings or creating violence or any uproar in the House. He was just asking for complete reply or setting up of House Committee. The Chairman’s behavior was surprising. He is not accommodating opposition and is not prepared to listen opposition members.
“I do not understand why the Chairman Haji Anayat Ali is not ready to listen to the truth. My only concern was that Kishtwar district being a hilly district , people there did not have much of the Agriculture land and despite that Government was offering Rs 2 lakh per kanal compensation for the land being acquired for power projects,” Kichloo said.
He further said that members of the House must visit Kishtwar and see the ground realty. There should be comprehensive rehabilitation policy for the people disturbed from their houses.” I just wanted a direction from the `Chair’ regarding constitution of House Committee in this concern but instead I was marshaled out,” Kichloo maintained.
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