Riyaz ul Khaliq
SRINAGAR
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed hue and cry over non-availability of hostel accommodation to Lawmakers.
The demand cropped up when PDP’s Sonwar Legislator Mohammad Ashraf Mir was speaking on grants to Estates Department.
He said that sitting Lawmakers were running from pillar to post for want of three-bed room hostels.
“We ate not beggars,” he told house, “Jab Hum Hai Tab Hi Ye House Hai.” “These officials order us to look for private accommodation.”
Mir was joined by almost all first time Lawmakers essentially from right wing BJP and PDP.
“It is ironic that defeated politicians are enjoying government accommodation,” he told the house.
The Lawmakers stood up from their seats and asked Speaker Kavinder Gupta to issue a direction to PDP-BJP government in this regard.
The logic, protesting legislators put forward is simple. “We too are elected like ministers,” the Lawmakers from ruling coalition told the house, “like ministers we too receive people in hordes. So, we need to have respectable accommodation.”
Asking government as how those who lost 2014 elections were occupying government accommodation, Mir narrated his own story. “With 24 hours,” the furious Mir told the house, “after I lost ministry, I had to vacate the flat which I occupied as Minister.”
Another PDP Lawmaker Ab Majeed Padder too joined Mir on this point. Interestingly, Congress’ Vikar Rasool supported demand of ruling Lawmakers.
Mir was MoS in late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led government. However, he was dropped when PDP-BJP re-stitched their alliance on April 04, 2016.
Pressing their demand, BJP’s J&K head and Lawmaker, Sat Paul Sharma asked Speaker that government should arrangement three-bed room accommodation for MLAs before the end of on-going 2016-17 Budget Session.
PDP’s Youth face and MLA Rafiabad, Yawar Mir sought Gupta’s direction in which government was asked to table the report detailing the amount spent on government accommodations in and outside J&K.
On this, Speaker Gupta informed the house about the state of affairs of J&K Houses in Delhi, Amritsar, Mumbai and Chandigarh. “Haalat kharaab hai unki,” Gupta said and he asked government to present the report on money spent on repair and maintenance of such accommodations including those in Jammu and Kashmir.
The MLAs were pressing Gupta to order eviction of those politicians from MLA hostels who lost 2014 elections. “MLA hostels should be utilised for MLAs only,” he told the treasury benches but falling short of words to accede to the demand of protesting MLAs. “If government wants to give accommodation to anyone, it is not an issue but utilise MLA hostel for the services of MLAs only.”
In its defence, government confessed that MLAs are facing problems. “It is a genuine demand,” Minister Ab Haq Khan who is noting suggestions and comments of Lawmakers on behalf of CM Ms Mehbooba Mufti told the house.
“But floods damaged MLA hostels and the flats ministers are living in too are not worth to be used,” he revealed. “We will soon look into this issue.”
Notably, when Mohammad Ashraf Mir stood to speak, Speaker Kavinder Gupta had called Chadoora Lawmaker, Javaid Mir, to start debate on grants to departments held by CM. But Sonwar MLA sought time ahead of Mir.
Javaid Mir was not at his allotted position so was not Syed Altaf Mohammad Bukhari. The duo occupies the same bench in second row.
When speaker called the name of Chadoora MLA, Ashraf Mir stood and replied to his colleagues, “Yahan Ya to Miroon Ki Chalay Gi Ya to Peerun Ki.” (It is either Mir or Peer) Then started the Hostel battle.
