Oppn MLAs troop into the Well, stage walkout
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 9: The failure of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government to implement Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the power sector despite lapse of several years today created pandemonium in the Legislative Assembly with Opposition jointly cornering the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also Minister Incharge Power Development Department, and accusing him of soft-paddling on power sector reforms.
Some MLAs of the National Conference and Congress also trooped into the well of the House after they were not allowed to raise supplementary questions pertaining to grievances of their areas vis-à-vis power supply and later staged walk-out. Two PDP MLAs also expressed concern over scarcity of electricity especially in Kashmir valley.
The Opposition started cornering Deputy Chief Minister when he, while replying to the supplementary question of PDF MLA from Khan-Sahib Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, said, “scarcity of power is the result of 70 years of bad planning and previous Governments are responsible for this”. However, he claimed that present dispensation was trying to fix the problem.
This infuriated National Conference and Congress MLAs, who started protesting from their respective benches. “Don’t talk of past 70 years…..tell us what you have done for improvement in the power system during the past three years”, National Conference MLA from Nagrota Devender Singh Rana said, adding “it is for the first time that Governor has publically stated that present dispensation has failed on all fronts”. Following this, majority of the Opposition MLAs started shouting “shame—shame”.
“You have failed to implement DDUGJY and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the power sector during the past three years and Government cannot escape the responsibility”, Devender Singh Rana further said, adding “we want to know why you have failed to utilize whopping funds made available by the Union Government for improvement in the power infrastructure”.
On this, Deputy Chief Minister said, “lack of response to the repeated tenders is the main reason behind delay in implementation of DDUGJY and now we are going to get the works under this and other schemes executed through Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) like Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Rural Electrification Corporation”.
He was interrupted by the NC MLA Devender Singh Rana, who said, “this means you admit your failure that Centrally Sponsored Schemes are still on papers and there is nothing on ground”. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, while raising the issue of shortage of power in Leh, demanded that Government should use DG sets for meeting the requirement of civilians instead of Army, which has sufficient own resources.
As Congress MLA Vikar Rasool and NC Legislators Abdul Majeed Larmi, Ishfaq Jabbar and Altaf Ahmed wanted to raise supplementary questions but were not allowed by the Speaker Kavinder Gupta, they left their seats and trooped into the well of the House to lodge protest.
Even PDP MLA Javid Hassan Baig left his seat and entered the well of the House but his issue remained inaudible because of ruckus in the House. However, on the intervention of Speaker he returned to his seat immediately. The act of the ruling party MLA created embarrassment for the Government with Opposition MLAs shouting “shame——shame” and stating that even ruling party MLAs were not satisfied with the performance of the Power Minister.
Though Deputy Chief Minister again tried to explain the difficulties in the launch of Centrally Sponsored Schemes particularly DDUGJY yet he was repeated interrupted by the agitating Opposition MLAs and this prompted the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri to come to his rescue. “Let the Deputy Chief Minister speak——what is the fun of raising issues when you are not interested in listening the Minister Incharge Power”, he asked the Opposition MLAs.
Another PDP MLA Yawar Mir also expressed concern over inordinate delay in launch of DDUGJY and sought to know whether Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Central Public Sector Undertakings in this regard.
“MoU with the PGCIL is yet to be signed for want of final discussion on implementation charges but the Prime Minister’s Office and Union Power Ministry have intervened on the issue”, Deputy Chief Minister said, adding “I assure the House that work will not only be started but geared up during the current year”.
But he was not allowed to complete his reply by the Opposition MLAs, who were expressing their anguish over worsening power scenario across the State. As no other MLA was allowed to raise supplementary and advised to air grievances during grants of the Power Development Department, Congress MLA Vikar Rasool and NC Members Abdul Majeed Larmi, Ishfaq Jabbar and Altaf Ahmed, who were protesting in the well of the House, staged walk-out.
However, Udhampur MLA Pawan Gupta, who was also protesting in the well, returned to his seat.
It is pertinent to mention here that on January 8, 2018 EXCELSIOR exclusively reported that over Rs 5000 crore meant for up-gradation of power infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir have remained unutilized because of inordinate delay in implementation of DDUGJY, IPDS and PMDP.
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