Adil Lateef
Srinagar, June 22: Chairman Legislative Council today directed Government to make statement in the House over the roll back of a controversial clause in the New Industrial Policy after Opposition Congress sought the clarification with regard to the reason behind the amendment.
As soon as the House met, the Congress legislator, Ghulam Nabi Monga, raised the issue and asked whether Government succumbed to the pressure of separatists who have been demanding roll back of the policy. “Government should issue a statement in the House and cite the reasons behind the amendment. We want to know is it because of separatists’ pressure?” he said.
However, the Government showed no response and the Chairman, Haji Anayat Ali, asked Monga to sit down. But the Congress legislator again demanded statement from the Government. After the question hour, Monga along with his party colleagues and National Conference legislators once again got up and reiterated demand.
The Opposition members created uproar and accused Government of succumbing to the pressure of the Kashmir separatists. Amid noisy scenes, the Chairman of the Upper House directed the State Government to make the statement in the House tomorrow regarding the amendments. On Tuesday, the Government ordered modification of Industrial Policy-2016 with the deletion of controversial para 2.11.2.
In the meanwhile, the Members of Legislative Council, cutting across the party lines, once again lashed Government over the lack of facilities to them. Soon after the House proceedings commenced, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker, Ramesh Arora said there is no place in the Legislature complex where the members could sit after the proceedings.
“Even a fourth class employee has a place in his office where he can sit. What is the provision for our sitting place?” he asked and was supported by all members from opposition and ruling parties. The House members demanded constitution of a House Committee akin to Assembly to look into the grievances and problems being faced by the legislators.
The House Chairman urged the Government to look into the matter after which Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, made a brief statement, saying the concern of the legislators is genuine and they must have lobby where they could sit. “We will look into the matter,” he said. But the legislators were not satisfied with reply and disrupted the proceedings for some minutes even as Chairman tried to pacify them.
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