Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 22: Mysterious silence of the State Government on the properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees lying in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hissar in Harayana and other places in the country brought furore in the Upper House of the J&K Legislature today, forcing Chairman of the Council to announce a House Committee to inquire into the fate of these properties including Guest Houses, land and shopping complexes and assess their value.
The issue generated lot of heat and dominated the proceedings during Question Hour today. Not only opposition National Panthers Party member Sayed Rafiq Shah but majority of the ruling coalition members also grilled the Minister on the issue and sought reply from the Government that why it avoided reply on properties/ guest houses located at prime locations at commercial capital Mumbai, which was once purchased by the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. They asked what was the compulsion of the Government to maintain silence on these properties in its reply to the question of Jehangir Hussain Mir from Congress and subsequent supplementaries to the number of other members of the House.
The issue was first raised by Jehangir Mir, who asked how many JK Guest Houses have been constructed within and outside the State of Jammu and Kashmir and what was state-wise detail. He also sought the details of the number of visitors in last two years and what was the system adopted. He also asked whether there was provision for providing accommodation to the State employees or others authorized people of the State who come to Delhi or Chandigarh or Mumbai for the specialized treatment of cancer, kidney, liver, heart etc.
The anger of the members apparently went sky high after they found that Minister of State for Hospitality and Protocol, Vikar Rasool mentioned about JK Guest Houses, 5-Prithvi Raj Road, Chankyapuri New Delhi, Sector 5 Chandigarh and 2-Court Road Amritsar.
NC legislator Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri and Congress MLC Naresh Gupta stood up and asked why Government was silent on the fate of Guest Houses and other properties at Mumbai. They said The JK Guest House at Nariman Point Mumbai has at least four, three-bed room flats besides a big bungalow at another posh locality. They said these accommodations have been occupied by some people and staff of Hospitality and Protocol Department. Another four kanal land and bungalow has been occupied by a private concern and its value is also in hundreds of crores. The Government must tell that who are the occupants. Whether these properties have been disposed off or given on lease or rent and if so who is the beneficiary. The Government must come clear over the issue. They also pointed out that there was no mention of the properties at Kolkata and what was the fate. Whether it was in possession of the State Government or not, they asked.
NPP member Sayed Rafiq Shah said these properties at Mumbai were purchased by the then Maharaj of Jammu and Kashmir whose value was hundreds of crores now. The members are not provided accommodation there. Will the Government get this property vacated. The Government has over 1250 kanal of land worth hundreds of crores at Sirsa. Whether it has sold that land or donated to somebody. The House wants to know about the fate of these properties. Whether Government has increased accommodation at Delhi, Chandigarh and other places to accommodate needy patients and improve booking system there because a nexus has become there and only those people get accommodation who resort to unfair means. There is no proper upkeep of the Houses in Delhi and there was no proper control. The system is needed to be streamlined there.
Congress member Ravinder Sharma asked whether Government will create additional space at Delhi and Chandigarh so that patients referred to AIIMS, PGI etc for specialized treatment get accommodation there at JK Houses. Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy asked about the fate of State property/ land more than 100 kanal at Rajaji Marg New Delhi in possession of MES and others. He sought reply from the Government that what progress has been made to reclaim that property worth hundreds of crores. Ghulam Nabi Monga and Dr Shehnaz Ganai also raised supplementaries. They said there was no proper cleanliness at JK House Delhi and infrastructure was very poor in B and C category. There was no proper system and accommodation is always denied to the State visitors.
Dr Ganai asked what is the reason that people from far flung areas like Poonch, Rajouri, Kargil etc are denied accommodation as figures have clearly indicated.
As the Minister got cornered from all the sides due to volley of questions raised from the ruling collation members who were not satisfied with the response, majority of the members pressed for framing a House Committee to inquire into the whole episode, assess the value, identify the occupants and file detailed report to the Chiarman. Chairman, Amrit Malhotra then announced the formation of House Committee to look into the matter and submit report. The members of the committee will be announced within a day or two.
Earlier, replying to main question of Mir, the Minister said from 2011 to 2012, 10,236 persons were provided accommodation at Delhi. 431 at Amritsar and 848 at Chandigarh. These people were provided accommodations as per standing rules of the State Government. Only 185 people from far flung areas were accommodated at Chandigarh and Delhi JK Houses in last five years. There is fixed rent/ tariff for the rooms made available there.
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