jammu:
Opposition National Conference and Congress lawmakers today disrupted proceedings in both houses of Jammu and Kashmir legislature, accusing the government of misleading people on the issue of transfer of power projects to the state, and created ruckus in the Assembly as Speaker directed marshaling out of some members.
Pandemonium prevailed as marshals tried to escort out members of NC including Devendar Rana, Altaf Kalu, Abdul Majid Larvi, Usman Majid and Vikar Rasool of Congress. Larvi suffered minor injuries along with one watch and ward staff when the opposition MLAs resisted attempts by marshals to herd them out of the House.
As the House Assembled today, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah brought to the notice of the House a news published in a local daily about power projects.
He said that there is a news item on the reply given by the central government in the Parliament that power projects cannot be transferred to the state in view of legal and financial problems.
As the entire opposition was on its feet, Omar said that on one side government is saying that it will bring back power projects from the central government and modalities are being worked out, on the other hand side the Centre has revealed that these projects cannot be transferred to the state in view of financial and legal hurdles.
“I want to know why is the government deceiving the people of the state and the government should reply to the people why they are fooling them,” he said.
Opposition members trooped into the Well protesting over the issue, forcing Speaker Kavinder Gupta to adjourn the House for ten minutes.
During the proceeding, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Ahmed Bukhari said the state government has not officially started the process of transfer of projects. Bukhari and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh of BJP assured the House that the state government was committed to fulfil the promise but the Opposition was not satisfied.
As the House reassembled again, some opposition members again entered the Well and continued their protest, shouting slogans against the government, while others were thumping desks, disrupting the proceedings.
Amid the ruckus, the Speaker again adjourned the House for five minutes.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the government was “fooling the people” on the issue of transfer of power projects from the Centre to state.
“It is in the Common Minimum Programme in their governance address that NHPC power projects should be returned to the state by the Centre and it means that the decision has been taken and modalities are to be worked out,” he said.
