Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: PDP MLAs today protested in State Assembly against the absence of officers from Medical Education and Health Departments in the Officers Gallery during the debate on annual grants of Medical Education, Health and Family Welfare, Irrigation, PHE and Flood Control in the House today.
As the Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din and Minister of PHE and I&FC, Sham Lal Sharma stood up to move the annual grants of their respective ministries and Deputy Speaker, Sartaj Madni asked NC’s Dr Mustafa Kamaal to initiate the discussion, PDP’s Javed Mustafa Mir, Peer Mansoor and Ch Zulafkar stood up from their seats and pointed towards Speaker that no officer from Health and Medical Education Department was present in the Officers Gallery.
At that time only Commissioner Secretary, PHE, I&FC, Dr Pawan Kotwal was in the front row of Officers Gallery and his subordinates were in second row. Soon other PDP MLAs also stood up from their seats and protested against absence of officers from gallery.
“Mana Health Department Kaa Health Kharaab Hain, Kaya Afsaroon Kaa Bhi Health Kharab Hain’’, (Admitted that the health of Health Department is not well but is officers health also unwell) quipped agitated Javed Mustafa Mir.
Soon all PDP MLAs came to front row and warned to stage a walkout.
The Deputy Speaker, also took exception to absence of officers from Medical Education and Health Department in the Official Gallery. The Deputy Speaker, while pursuing the MLAs to take their seats urged Taj Mohi –ud-Din to verify why the officers have not reported in the gallery so far and report the action.
Later, the Minister went outside the House to find out the reasons that why the officers have not reported in the gallery.
Meantime, all the officers of the department reported in the gallery. As the officers were just entering the gallery, NC MLA Peer Aufaq and Shamima Firdos stood up raised a point of order saying that Director Kashmir was neither present in the House during the Session at Srinagar nor here. The duo also protested and in the meantime, Director Health Services Kashmir was seen taking his seat in Official Gallery.
Later, Speaker Mubarak Gul informed the House as the Assembly has a hectic schedule and earlier two Ministers had to speak on grants there was no place in the Official Gallery for the officers so they were waiting outside.
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