SRINAGAR : Announcing the scrapping of a mining contract to a Chandigarh firm in Kathua district in Jammu region, the state government today suspended the Geology and Mining Director.
This announcement was made by Minister for Industries and Commerce Chander Parkash after members from both Treasury and Opposition benches created ruckus in the Legislative Assembly over the issue for the second consecutive day today.
Meanwhile, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party member Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar withdrew his name from the House Committee, constituted to examine the provisions of SRO 105, under which all type of mining is banned Jammu and Kashmir, in protest to the incident.
As soon as the Lower House resumed functioning for the day, lone CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, besides other members, were on their feet demanding that the minister should respond to the concern raised in the House yesterday.
The Minister said the Geology and Mining Director has been suspended and the contract has been cancelled. However, he said this was done only for the purpose of the satisfaction of the House and keeping the motto of the Coalition government of honesty, integrity, public probity and transparency.
Welcoming government’s decision to revoke the contract and suspend the concerned officer, Mr Tarigami, however, said the statement given by the minister was factually incorrect. “Don’t defend something which you can’t defend.
You saying that you were not aware of the contract is incorrect because the order which you cancelled today was issued on May 12,” he said. Outrightly rejecting the Minister’s claim that the contract was cancelled keeping the motto of the Coalition government of honesty, integrity, public probity and transparency in mind, he said the contract was in grave violation of the directions of the High Court and the Speaker.
“After SRO 105 was implemented, Geology and Mining department released a statement on April 16, in which it said that the government is giving a breathing period of three months with respect to SRO 105. A petition was filed by the people of Doda in the High Court in which they had referred this statement by the department. In its observation, the HC said that the government should follow its own statement regarding SRO 105,” he said. (AGENCIES)
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