Diversion of funds meant for Dal lake PDP MLAs stage walk-out after Speaker refuses to frame House Committee * NPP, JSM, BJP allege neglect of Jammu lakes

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Mar 28: Main Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today grilled the Government over its failure to spend the money meant for the world famous Dal lake and staged walk-out after the Speaker, Mohd Akbar Lone, rejected their demand for constituting a House Committee to look into the issue of diversion of funds from Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to other heads. On the other hand, National Panthers Party (NPP) MLAs protested against the neglect of the Jammu lakes by the Government and walked-out of the House after the Minister failed to reply their queries.
The grilling of Government started when the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam Wani, in reply to the question of PDP MLA, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, regarding diversions made from LAWDA allocations, admitted that funds were diverted to other heads as the LAWDA could not spend the money due to the adverse law and order situation for more than four months from June onwards in 2010.
The Minister even admitted that no expenditure has yet been incurred on solid waste management projects under UIDSSMT scheme in Anantnag, Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara and Ganderbal towns despite release of an amount of Rs 6.75 crore against the sanctioned cost of Rs 15 crore. He, however, attributed this to lack of response despite putting the works to tender.
“This is no justification behind diversion of funds meant for Dal lake”, PDP MLA, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, remarked and asked what the Department was doing in rest of the eight months when there was no disturbance in the Valley. “The diversion of funds is a question mark on the performance of the Department and its capacity to spend the money meant for the conservation of Dal lake”, he further said.
Why the Government could not fix the responsibility on the officers, who failed to spend even single penny for the solid waste management projects? he asked. “I salute the officers of the Department, who spent the money in six towns of Jammu”, he said and demanded that a House Committee should be constituted to look into diversion of funds meant for the Dal lake.
As the PDP MLAs were accusing the Government of diverting the funds meant for Dal lake to Jammu, the Minister said, “the funds re-appropriated to other heads were spent in Jammu as well as Srinagar under different schemes”. He even gave break-up of the same to prove the assertions of the PDP MLAs wrong.
Joining the issue, CPM MLA, Mohd Yousaf Tarigami, asked why the Department failed to utilize the money in remaining eight months. The Legislature Party leader of National Panthers Party, Harshdev Singh, said that Government should have kept the money keeping in view the capacity of the Department to expend the same.
“When you cannot spend the money then what is the fun of keeping provisions for the same”, he asked and said that such money could have been spent for other lakes like Surinsar, Mansar and Dalsar in Jammu region. He also sought to know as to why the Government has kept funds for the Dal lake under four heads when the Housing and Urban Development Department has no capacity to spend the same fully even from one head.
Echoing similar views, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Nagrota, Jugal Kishore said that unspent money should have been utilized for the Surinsar and Mansar lakes in Jammu instead of diverting the same for other works. He alleged that Government was neglecting the water bodies of Jammu.
Alleging neglect of Jammu lakes, Jammu State Morcha (JSM) MLA from Bishnah, Ashwani Sharma, said that Government should have brought Mansar and Surinsar lakes under the purview of LAWDA, adding “there is no justification behind keeping Dal lake under LAWDA and other lakes under the Environment and Ecology Ministry”.
PDP MLA, Rafi Ahmad Mir, whose question regarding works under Municipal Committee Aishmuqam had also been listed in the business, said, “the Government should have diverted the money to six proposed works in Aishmuqam area, which according to the Government itself could not be taken up due to non-availability of funds”.
After being cornered by the Opposition, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Nasir Aslam Wani said, “all this happened in 2010 only. Now the utilization of funds for Dal lake has been streamlined”.
However, he was repeatedly interrupted by the agitating PDP MLAs, who started demanding a House Committee to look into the issue of diversion of funds meant for Dal lake. Amidst ruckus, the Speaker, Mohd Akbar Lone, took up the next question on the ground that Opposition was not ready to listen the Minister’s reply.
“You are not interested to listen the Minister that is why I have decided to take up next question”, he said when all the PDP MLAs moved towards the front row in protest. “You have to maintain the decorum of the House. I will not allow you to start shouting every time”, Speaker said.
As the PDP MLAs started raising slogans in support of their demand for setting up of House Committee, the Speaker remarked, “am I dictated by you….you have to make a submission. I reject your request for appointing the House Committee”.
Following this, all the PDP MLAs staged walk-out.
In the meantime, NPP MLA, Harshdev Singh, stood up and sought to know as to why the Government has kept funds under four heads for Dal lake despite the fact that it has no capacity to expend the same even under one head.
As the Speaker didn’t allow the Minister to give reply and instead asked him to furnish information to the MLA in writing, all the NPP MLAs, BJP’s Jugal Kishore and JSM’s Ashwani Sharma staged walk-out alleging neglect of Jammu lakes.