KL Report

SRINAGAR

Congress minister Sham Lal Sharma, who on Friday resigned from the council of ministers, Saturday alleged that Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather delayed the regularization of daily wagers and some of the cabinet ministers wanted their own men absorbed ahead of deserving daily wagers.

“My conscience would not allow me to continue in the state cabinet,” Sharma told KNS, adding that delay exhibited by the finance minister in the approval of the draft policy over the regularization of the daily wagers was the reason to bid farewell to the ministerial berth.

“On October 17, we signed a draft policy for the regularization of the daily wagers. It was sent to the Finance Minister for the further process. The FM later confirmed that he has sent it to the General Administration Department but when we called Secretary GAD, he said no such draft has been received by his department. This is a delaying tactic which is unacceptable to me,” Sharma said, adding however that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was positive over the resolution of the issue.

“I believe that there are various aspects related to my resignation. It must be answered why the Finance Minister kept the draft policy of daily wagers with himself and didn’t send it to the GAD. Why hurdles were created in the absorption of the daily wagers? This issue is not merely a political one. This indeed is a human issue, involving the families of 60 thousand daily wagers. If you ignore this grave issue then I am sorry I cannot continue. My conscience would rebuke me for doing so,” he added.

Sharma, however, refuted the reports that he resigned from the cabinet due to the recent remarks of his cabinet colleague Taj Mohi-ud-din, saying “whatever Taj remarked is between him and me and my decision has no bearing upon the war of words that erupted between them in the past.”

“Taj Sahib later issued the rebuttal. Hugh command has also taken notice of the issue. My decision has nothing to do with the recent statements. I have purely resigned on the grounds of delay displayed by some ministers in the government over the regularization of daily wagers,” he said.

In a scathing attack against the National Conference (NC) Jammu provincial president Davinder Singh Rana, Sharma claimed that BJP is housing in the residence of Rana and that he cannot suspect others of joining BJP. “Why should I listen to what Rana has said about me? His brother is a BJP minister and hence BJP is camping in his house. He cannot point fingers on others,” Sharma said while talking to KNS.

The minister remarked further that even if BJP gets 17-18 seats, it cannot form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. “It is only Congress that plays vital role in the formation of the JK government. No government in JK could be formed sans the Congress support. People know it and the polls in Haryana and Maharashtra would have a meager effect upon the JK polls,” he added.

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