by Tahir Bhat

JAMMU: Kashmir assembly in Jammu witnessed pandemonium on Monday following a hue and cry over the state government’s alleged discrimination in macadamization of roads in the constituency of opposition members. Ruling benches were accused of discrimination in the release of funds to various constituencies represented by NC and Congress for macadamizing roads.

Opposition members alleged that the Government had macadamized the roads in the constituencies of ruling members against quite a few roads in constituencies represented by Opposition. They actually walked out in protest and the drama took most of the second sitting time.

Speaking on the grants of PWD and R&B department in Legislative Assembly MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Wani referred to the figures mentioned in the replies of various cut motions and revealed that roads in the constituency of opposition members got marginal share during last few years.

He said in south Kashmir, the government has macadamised 84 kilometres in the 2017-18 year of which 74.6 km are in Bijbehera, 38 in Kokernag and 29 in Pahalgam.

Altaf Wani quoted cut motion replies and said Beerwah constituency represented by NC president Omar Abdullah didn’t see any macadamization of roads from past three years.

To this minister for parliamentary affairs minister, Abdul Rehman Veeri contested that the figures were incorrect. “Roads in my constituency have not been macadamized up to this length in 2017-18,” he said while countering Altaf Wani who said the figures have been given by the government in reply of cut motions.He alleges that government macadamized the roads for the benefit of some highly influential people and the common people were discriminated.

In the meantime, leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister (CM) Omar Abdullah told the House that the issue was questionable as the minister from ruling party was contesting the figures.

“If the figures are not correct then on which issue we will talk and believe,” Omar said. “Better is that minister should reply on this first,” Omar said, to which R&B minister replied: “My officer says that the figures are based on the width of roads.”

In response to this Omar said, “We have learned in school that Kilometers are kilometres irrespective of its width.”

Roads Politics: In 2015-16, Government Preferred Its Vote Bank For Road Improvement

Meanwhile, the House witnessed noisy scenes after opposition members stated R&B department has shown contradictory figures to the same question posed by members.

“In my reply, the government says 74 kilometres have been macadamized in Bijbehara while as in reply to another legislator department claims that only 68 kilometres have been macadamized in the same constituency,” said NC MLA from Homshalibugh.

National Conference Legislator Ishfaq Jabbar Mla Ganderbal alleges that government is discriminating on the bases of area and politics.

MLA Habba kadal alleges that her constituency was totally discriminated by the government as her area lacks basic facilities, especially roads.

Ali Mohammad Sagar told the minister that to do justice with the people in every area, adding that ‘we have elected members by the people.’

Ali Mohammad Sagar referring to a verse of the Holy book of Quran said that do justice and “Takwa

Sagar said that the R&B department has turned into Political vendetta department, “what is the sin of people who you have discriminated with?

Intervening Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmad Gurezi asked the Minister for PWD to explain “Why discrimination in these constituencies?. What answer you give to the people of these constituencies?”

He said that if the government has macadamized the roads in each constituency but it is very unfortunate that the Gurez, Beerwah and Ganderbal were ignored for the last three years. Gurezi asked the R&B minister to order an enquiry into the matter and put the erring official to task.

“Don’t think that members here are illiterate, they read everything. Time has gone now when MLAs would put the documents in the pocket and wait for minister’s reply next day,” Gurezi told Akhtar. “Opposition leader in the morning reads everything, so don’t take this House for granted.”

Deputy speaker meanwhile told the House that roads in his own constituency were not macadamized as well. “You should avoid this thing and roads in all the constituencies should be equally macadamized,” Gurezi advised the minister.

 

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