STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Opposition Congress on Thursday staged a walkout from the Assembly to protest against the State government decision to nominate more than 700 persons for various medical and paramedical courses without notifying these courses for general public.
Replying to a question by BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat “admitted” that the government had not notified the courses for which 725 persons were nominated last year.
“The nominations were made as per the guidelines issued vide Government order Nor 357-HME of 2007 and 493-HME of 2001,” said Jasrotia, while raising supplementary to his question.
He alleged the nomination for the courses was “illegal” as the Supreme Court had “struck down” the provision.
Some other MLAs questioned the government’s decision alleging that there was “favouritism” in granting the nominations.
While defending the government’s decision, the minister said he would ensure in future the nomination include areas of all MLAs.
The Congress MLAs, supported by CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami and Independent MLA P K Gupta, tried to storm the well of the House after the minister’s statement. However, the Marshals and Assembly staff prevented them from doing so.
Shouting slogans like “Bandar baant nahi chalegi”, “discretionary quota nahi chalega”, the MLAs staged a walkout.
Meanwhile, Congress and National Conference (NC) legislators staged a walkout from the Legislative Council also after their demand for a clarification over the issue of rollback of a controversial clause in the New Industrial Policy was not met.
As soon as the Council met this morning, opposition members led by Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga raised the issue of amendment in the New Industrial Policy, saying the government should make a statement on the reasons behind the amendment as directed by Chairman Anayat Ali on Wednesday.
The Chairman asked Monga to sit down and let the Question Hour function first.
After the Question Hour ended, members from Congress and NC again stood up from their seats and sought the statement of the government as to whether the amendment was done because of the “separatists’ pressure”.
Minister for Law Abdul Haq Khan said he was not present in the House that time on Wednesday.
The minister said the government would issue a statement over the issue.
Unsatisfied with the reply of the minister, the opposition MLCs staged walkout from the House.
The opposition members had on Wednesday created uproar and accused government of “succumbing to the pressure of the separatists”.
The government on Tuesday had ordered modification of Industrial Policy-2016 with the removal of a controversial clause which allowed non-state subjects to get land on lease in the state for setting up industrial units. PTI
