Mankotia, Sakina clash in House
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 19: CPI (M) MLA from Kulgam, Mohammed Yousf Tarigami, while sharing the concern shown by the NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq in the House yesterday over allocation of advertisements to newspapers, today said it is unfortunate that those newspapers whose names were not known have been given maximum advertisements by Information Department of the J&K Government while leading ones were totally ignored.
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Participating in the debate on grants of the Ministries under Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in the UT Assembly on second day today, he said nobody has known the names of the newspapers given maximum advertisements by the Government while leading newspapers like Daily Excelsior and Greater Kashmir etc were totally ignored. He said there is no proper policy for allocation of advertisements for newspapers and channels. The Government should frame basic rules for the same, he added.
Tarigami said besides, the leading papers, news channels and some other small newspapers have also been ignored while allocating advertisements by the Department.
Later the issue was also raised by PDP’s Waheed Parra who too decried the Government’s policy in this regard saying that the leading newspapers have been ignored which is a cause of concern. He demanded that the policy for allocation of advertisements by Information Department be rationalised and for the leading newspapers and channels a viable policy be framed by the Government.
Earlier Tarigami said in 1974 business rules were framed and everything was institutionalised and the same was made practical on ground but later diluted. He said the planning process should have been entrusted to Planning Department and the same process be institutionalised once again. The working of Development Authorities of Srinagar and Jammu be improved, he added.
The MLA Kulgam also cautioned about the Central Government’s move of privatising power saying that it will hit a poor man hard. He said in this regard Electricity Amendment Bill has come in the Parliament and power distribution will be privatised. He said after handing over it to corporate sector whose only Mantra is profit and this way the poor will be hit hard.
Tarigami said J&K has lot of water resources but in lieu of same the UT gets nothing. He made a startling disclosure that people in his constituency are asked by PDD officials that they should purchase polls and wire themselves for electrification of their area and Department will only install meters. Mubarak Gul who was presiding the House at that time also took serious exception of the same saying it is very serious issue. He asked MLA to furnish the name of the village. But Tarigami said this is case with his entire constituency, Kulgam.
Tarigami also demanded framing of a Committee to probe the matter. He said they have been elected to the House to highlight people’s problems. He demanded establishment of Cultural Unit in Kulgam and budget be earmarked for climate change. He also expressed concern over deteriorating condition of Anchar lake saying no officer is ready to own it and demanded it be declared as ‘No man’s land’. Supporting his demand Chairman, Mubarak Gul stressed that Anchar Development Authority be created.
House also witnessed a verbal duel between Minister of Education and Health Sakina Ittoo and BJP MLA from Chenani, Balwant Singh Mankotia during the debate when BJP MLA and former Minister, Chander Parkash Ganga was speaking on grants.
Sakina raised a Point of Order and tried to snub the People’s Conference MLA from Handwara, Sajjad Ghani Lone who earlier had raised the issue of daily wagers regularisation and increasing honorarium of Anaganwadi workers. Sakina pointed towards Lone saying that she wanted to remind Lone that when he was Minister in PDP –BJP Government previously a deputation of daily wagers had gone to meet him and he did not meet them. “Moreover as Minister, he terminated 80 Anganwadi workers and helpers and when I took the issue with him requesting for their reengagement he refused saying that he was under pressure,’’ she added quoting Lone.
Protesting against the Minister, BJP’s Balwant Singh Mankotia stood up from his seat saying that MLA was interrupting his party member to disrupt him. He said she did not took on the member when he was speaking. Mankotia was engaged in a verbal clash with the Minister who also retorted back. BJP MLA said “You are standing up every now and then’’. However Sakina also countered saying “When you stand up no one stops you from speaking.’’ Supporting Mankotia his party colleague, Dilip Parihar also joined him in countering Sakina. However Mubarak Gul, who was on the chair, pacified them.
C P Ganga raised serious concern over increasing drug menace and bovine smuggling saying there is a nexus between the two. He also expressed grave concern over the attack on police teams by bovine smugglers and drug peddlers in Samba district. He demanded establishment of industrial estate to provide jobs to unemployed youth who are in desperation. He said in Kashmir people have other source like handicrafts, horticulture etc while in Jammu entire area is Kandi belt and promotion of industry could be only hope for employment generation, he added.
Ganga said during the time of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah industrialists had come to Jammu and established their units in Samba district especially Bari Brahmana but later no one made efforts on that line.
Sajad Lone of People’s Conference expressed concern over police verification of youth who are applying for Government employment and in case their farther relation was involved in any case related to militancy they are denied certificate by police and the Government should look into this. He said CM should use his good offices in this regard as he is complimenting Prime Minister more than BJP. He also criticised the Government for demolition of houses of people and instead of stopping this process the Government even defends such demolitions.
The shopkeepers in Handwara who had purchased shops over 70 years back from Government are now served eviction notices and where these hapless people will go? he asked
NC’s Saif-ud-Din Bhat stressed on promoting tourism, horticulture and handicrafts sectors which, he said, can make the UT self reliant. He also demanded that tourism be promoted in Dudpathri and stressed forest tourism on pattern of foreign countries.
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