STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: The opposition on Monday disrupted proceedings of the State Assembly over the “bad situation” in Kashmir after heavy snowfall and staged a walkout after the government did not agree to an adjournment motion to suspend business and discuss the issue.
As the House began proceedings, National Conference brought an adjournment motion to suspend the Question Hour and hold a discussion on the situation in Kashmir and other mountainous belts of state over the alleged failure of the government to supply essential supplies and breakdown of road communications.
Shouting slogans, ‘Nakaara Sarkar’, ‘Lachaar Sarkar Hai Hai’, the protesting legislators entered into the well and wanted one hour discussion on the issue in the House.
There is no power, drinking water, essential commodities available to the people and government is paying no attention towards their miseries, the members said.
NC member Ali Mohd Sagar said the House should discuss the issue and claimed that the government had failed to open roads in Kashmir following the snowfall and to restore supplies of power, water and other essential commodities.
NC member Devender Rana also raised the issue of the “bad” situation in upper reaches of Jammu region due to snowfall, while Congress member Vikar Rasool took up the issue the situation in Ramban and the state of the highway. Intervening, Speaker Kavinder Gupta said this issue has been raised in the House two to three times. He asked members to raise the issue during the discussion of grants and allow the Question Hour to proceed smoothly but the NC and Congress members walked into the well of the House and resorted to sloganeering.
The members kept shouting and creating pandemonium following which the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri intervened, saying the government has replied to the issue and the opposition had no matter to raise. On this, NC and Congress staged walkout from the House while sloganeering.
Speaking to reporters, Sagar accused the government of failing to deal with the situation emerging after heavy snowfall.
“There is a failure in restoration of power supply and other essential supplies. The roads are blocked. Life has halted,” Sagar said.
Countering the allegations of the opposition, Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar said the government is taking measures on war-footing basis to restore the essential services disrupted because of heavy and recurrent snowfall in various parts of the State.
“The administration has been mobilised and men and machinery are on the job to restore the essential services and almost 90 per cent of essential services have been restored in the snow-bound areas,” the Minister told media-persons outside Legislature Complex. Responding to the Opposition charge in this regard, Akhtar, who is also the state government Spokesman, said it is not for the first time that Kashmir and other parts of the State are grappling with post-snowfall situation.
“There have been snowfalls earlier also and similar situations have arisen which have been and are being tackled by the administration effectively,” he said, adding that efforts have been redoubled to ensure restoration of essential services including restoration of road communication, supply of electricity, water and availability of essential commodities. He informed that control rooms have been set up in all the districts to monitor the situation arising due to snowfall and the people can directly contact district administration to seek redress of their grievances. Strict instructions have been issued to the concerned departments especially R&B, PHE and PDD to ensure restoration of public utilities in the affected areas, he added.
