Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 20: National Panthers Party (NPP) member Sayed Rafiq Shah today staged protest with a difference by laying down at the `well passage’ of the Legislative Council today, after the Chairman Amrit Malhotra snubbed him and did not allow to raise a supplementary question on the issue of bridges in Kupwara area of Kashmir.
Congress member from Baramulla area Ghulam Nabi Monga raised the issue of delay being caused in the construction of Jatti bridge at Baramulla despite the fact that huge funds have been spent on the same. Minister of State for R&B, Home and Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo was replying.
After Mr Monga raised a supplementary question, the lone NPP member Sayed Rafiq Shah raised another supplementary pertaining to some bridges in Kupwara area. The Chairman did not allow him, telling that it was irrelevant and had no connection with this question of Baramulla bridge. This irked the NPP member who pleaded that issue was important and he should be allowed to raise the issue, and seek reply from the Government.
As the Chairman again asked him to sit down, the member tore the question and reply papers and then moved to the well of the House shouting slogans against the ‘Chair’. He also raised some objectionable words against the Chairman but Mr Malhotra later expunged the words on the demand of members. He laid down on the floor of the House near the `well’ chanting slogans `Zamhuriyat Ka Katal’ …hai hai….. and so on. After staging his “way-laid protest” for some time, then he staged walk out. It is pertinent to mention here that PDP has already boycotted the House and this lone Opposition member also walked out today.
Earlier, replying to the main question of Mr Monga, the Minister said an amount of Rs 2.07 crore stands released to JKPCC for Jatti bridge at Baramulla till date against the cost of Rs 15.65 crore and this bridge is likely to be completed with in three years. The member however, contested that the reply provided was not satisfactory and the works shown completed in the reply have not been actually executed and the claim was false. He said that bridge was very important but due to very slow pace of work the people of the area were suffering.
In reply to another question of B R Kundal, Mr Kitchloo said that an amount of Rs 12608.48 lakh has been allocated for various road connectivity schemes under Road Sector State Plan 2012-13 in Jammu district against which Rs 1124.57 lakh is allocated to R S Pura block. He further said that under PMGSY, 77 schemes for road length of 343.26 kms are sanctioned in Jammu district under Phase III to IX at a cost of Rs 14515.58 lakh against which the expenditure ending January 2013 is Rs 9610.61 lakh. Out of this five schemes of road length of 8.25 kms are sanctioned for R S Pura block for Rs 183.54 lakh.
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