JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed an awkward moment when Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary struggled with the sweltering heat during his speech defending grants for his departments on March 15. Speaking largely from prepared remarks in English, which were reportedly drafted by bureaucrats, Choudhary paused midway to request the assembly’s watch and ward staff to switch on the air conditioners.
Ten minutes later, after receiving no respite, he repeated his request. The assembly hall in Jammu has six air conditioners, and staff arrived with multiple remote controls to operate them. However, the machines failed to switch on, leading to an embarrassing situation for Assembly Secretary Manoj Kumar Pandit. He repeatedly summoned staff to fix the issue, but their efforts remained unsuccessful. Interestingly, only one air conditioner turned on—ironically positioned near BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma.
After several failed attempts, the assembly staff ultimately gave up. By then, Choudhary had concluded his nearly 70-minute speech, using his speech papers to fan himself.
Assembly officials later revealed that the hall had last been used in March 2018. Since then, it has remained largely neglected, with staff being reassigned across Jammu and Kashmir following bureaucratic restructuring. The region previously had a bicameral legislature, but the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act abolished the Legislative Council.
