Despite government asking National Health Mission (NHM) employees to call off their strike and some rift emerging therein, PDP-BJP coalition with controversy remaining in the recent recruitments done by Services Selection Board the budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature is likely to begin on a stormy note on Tuesday. The opposition parties are planning to protest the recent government order barring its employees from airing political views on social media. There is also expected opposition to the government’s move to allow indirect election of Sarpanchs by Panchs instead of a direct election. The session would end on February 10 and the Budget for the Financial Year 2018-19 would be presented by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu on January 11. This will be his fourth budget on the trot. The Congress, National Conference and CPI (M) have termed “eye-wash” the government’s decision to regularise 60,000 casual and daily wagers in various departments. The issue is also likely to be figured in the House. The opposition may also denounce the Mehbooba Mufti government over the ongoing strike by contractual employees, including of the National Health Mission, who are demanding regularisation of their services. The opposition has termed the gag order on use of social media by the government as totally an undemocratic decision and if not withdrawn, it will be the biggest issue during the budget session. In December last year, the government barred its employees from using social media for any political activity by amending the conduct rules governing them. The State Government added a sub-rule to the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct Rules which states that no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government. The opposition would also take-up with the government its failure on non-implementation of Agenda of Alliance, development inertia, tussle over political issues between the coalition partners and back door appointments. Howsoever, BJP State leadership has been claiming of ‘normalcy’ and has termed that the opposition parties were bereft of issues as the State Government had done well to mitigate the problems of the people and had taken the State to new heights of development.
