Is status of J&K Legislature at par with those of other states, CM asks LoP
Jammu, Mar 20: Do you really feel that the J&K Legislative Assembly's stature is comparable to that of other states in the country?
This was a prickly poser of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to the Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma, while replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the departments under his charge, in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Sharma had stated that J&K was brought to par with other states of the country as justice and equality were restored by the Prime Minister after August 5, 2019.
“If you (LoP) are convinced about that then we have nothing to say. But the fact of the matter is, we are seeking equality only. For the time being, we are fighting for equality only, rest will follow. We are not at par with our neighbouring states even,” the CM retorted.
Countering the LoP’s assertion justifying allotment of land to non-locals for setting industrial units, CM Omar cited the example of Himachal Pradesh.
“Can you use the same contention for other states, say, for example, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh? Do you know how difficult it is to set up a unit there in Himachal? Here we don’t have even one percent reservation for locals in jobs in industrial units set up by outsiders. There in Himachal, it is 70 percent,” he said.
CM Omar also accused the opposition benches of using an “insult to Maharaja” pretext when they had nothing to target the government or treasury benches.
“You changed the state subject laws – a legacy inherited by Maharaja. This was a protection for citizens of J&K, mainly Jammu residents to save their land and jobs from the people from Punjab. Post 2019, the Ranbir Penal Code was replaced by a different law. Who did it? You have done it and still you accuse us of insulting Maharaja,” he said.
Responding to BJP MLA Balwant Singh’s dig at him, the CM said that he used the pace “like the one offered by Australia’s Green pitches” for bowling (during poll campaigning) and in the present changed scenario, he was acting as a “spin bowler on BCCI’s spin favouring pitches.”
“This only means that as a wise captain, I’m changing strategy as per evolving situation but not the game. The objective is to win the game and return as a winner to the people after five years. The mission will be accomplished, rest assured,” he said.
Earlier, CM Omar began at a poetic note of a different flavour in Kashmiri followed by its translation in Hindustani: Sardiyon Ka Mausam Nikal Jayega; Barf Pighal Jaayegi, Phir Se Bahar Aayegi (loosely translated as - Winter season will go away, snow will melt; spring will be back in its splendour)!
“Cautious of criticism I faced last time to start with a pessimistic note, I had tried to infuse the splendour of spring inside the House. But here things remain the same – Tu Tu Main Main; allegations and counter allegations etc,” he said.
Reference was to noisy scenes - the House had witnessed throughout the day during debate between treasury benches and opposition members.
The proceedings saw BJP members locking horns with the AAP MLA Mehraj Malik a number of times during the day once on the issue of the sale of liquor. BJP members also accused him of hurting religious sentiments.
The CM also used the occasion to take a dig at BJP leadership as he said, “We are not the ones who will shy away from answering prickly queries. We don’t ask questions in advance before interviews.”
He said that the process of CID verification would be reviewed as it (CID) could not be used as a weapon. "The department will be asked to follow HC order on this account," he said.
CM Omar reiterated the need for efficient governance and accountability in planning and finance. “The Planning Department’s role is crucial. It is not just about drafting policies but ensuring their execution. We must reconsider the decision to merge planning with finance and restore its independent role.”
Responding to the issues raised by members vis-à-vis departments under his charge, he announced the extension of the amnesty scheme for PDD domestic consumers.
“This will be the last one-time amnesty as frequent waivers are unfair to those who pay their bills on time,” he said proposing a new scheme that would offer incentives on outstanding dues in proportion to future payments, encouraging a culture of timely bill payments. He also reiterated the importance of metering to improve revenue collection and reduce losses.
He stressed the need to revive the Roshni scheme in a new format asserting that it was imperative.
CM Omar stressed the need to decongest cities, improve urban infrastructure and infuse change into the public mindset.
He batted for planned satellite townships and residential colonies, saying that outsiders would not be settled there.
Regarding disaster management and relief efforts, the CM reassured members about the government’s commitment to providing proper rehabilitation and housing for displaced communities.
On cultural preservation, he highlighted ongoing restoration efforts at 33 heritage sites across Jammu and Kashmir, with a budget of Rs 65 crore.
“Future plans include restoring 73 additional sites with an estimated cost of Rs 170 crore,” CM Omar said. “We will try to complete Mubarak Mandi restoration work during our tenure.”
Referring to the uproar created by the members vis-à-vis expenditure on state guests, he said that it was nothing new.
“We too had spent money in the past. We will do so even now. Our predecessors too had done it. The government expenditure on state guests is a common practice and has been followed by previous governments as well. Moreover, I’ll endorse PDP MLA Mir Fayaz Sahib’s point that we are known for hospitality,” the CM said.
While he refrained from detailing the exact spending, he assured the House that steps were being taken to utilise existing assets effectively.
Responding to queries regarding government spending on chartered planes, CM Omar said that Rs 15 crore were spent over three years because state aircraft was not airworthy.
He took exception to, what he said, “mismanagement of the state aircraft” and criticized its prolonged neglect.
“We will not talk about Rs 15 crore spent on chartered flights but we need to talk about the negligence in case of management of state aircraft. The plane purchased with taxpayers’ money was left abandoned at Jammu Airport for five years, exposed to the vagaries of weather,” the CM said sharing his disappointment.
Addressing concerns about lost properties after the reorganization of J&K and Ladakh, he said, “The properties that are gone cannot be reclaimed, but we must make the best use of those that remain.”
CM Omar highlighted ongoing efforts to convert the structure in Sector 17, Chandigarh, into a state guest house, which would cost approximately Rs 13 crore and cater to patients, students, and public representatives.
He reiterated the importance of vertical expansion due to space constraints, drawing parallels with Moti Bagh in Delhi, and assured the House that alternative accommodations for government officials were being planned.
The CM acknowledged the acute shortage of government accommodations, forcing many MLAs and ministers to seek private housing or live below their entitlement.
At the same time, he pointed out the issue of unauthorised occupation, saying, “There are individuals who exceed their entitlement, and some who have no entitlement yet refuse to vacate. We are working towards enforcing discipline in this regard.”
CM Omar assured that new infrastructure projects would be undertaken with comprehensive planning and strict adherence to Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
He emphasised the importance of promoting pilgrim tourism in Jammu and proposed creating religious tourism circuits to enhance connectivity between different pilgrimage sites.
The CM invited MLAs to provide insights on their local religious sites to facilitate this development.
He also acknowledged the suggestion of developing agri-tourism, particularly in regions known for Basmati rice cultivation, and assured collaboration on this front.
Later, the House passed grants amounting to Rs 594.31 crore for the General Administration Department (GAD); Rs 560.09 crore for Planning; Rs 141.83 crore for Information; Rs 12,477.28 crore for the Power Development Department (PDD); Rs 62,703.48 crore for Finance; Rs 70.84 crore for Parliamentary Affairs; Rs 762.84 crore for the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department; Rs 810.74 crore for Revenue; Rs 4061.30 crore for Housing and Urban Development; Rs 612.80 crore for Tourism; Rs 466.84 crore for Hospitality, Protocol and Estates; Rs 204.59 crore for Culture and Rs 1963.69 crore for Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) after all the members withdrew their cut motions.
