KL Report
SRINAGAR
Three Congress ministers staged walkout from the state Cabinet meeting as there was no consensus on the approval of proposal for financial package to Pak refugees, local news gatherer KNS said.
Congress ministers, according to reports, wanted time bound proposal to get through but the consensus eluded the same. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had bifurcated the proposal saying that one part of it needs constitutional amendment which will be addressed in the state and while the other part including the recommendations will be put forth before the government of India.
However, some of the cabinet ministers said that since the proposal seeking enhancement in financial package for Pak refugees was received late and there were some discrepancies and left over areas in it and the same needed threadbare discussions. But the Congress ministers were adamant to get the proposal approved as according to them the proposal had already been discussed and was time bound for today cabinet meeting.
As the consensus eluded over the issue, deputy chief minister Tara Chand, minister for urban development Raman Bhalla and minister for PHE Sham Lal Sharma staged a walkout in protest. Later all the three ministers joined back the meeting after Ghulam Ahmad Mir minister for tourism motivated them for the same.
Pertinently, in November 20, last year the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department had finalized the draft, Rs 7000 crore package for one time settlement of all sorts of refugees which needed cabinet approval and onward submission to the Union Government for funding.
