SRINAGAR, NOV 8: After repeated adjournments over the past few days, legislators were finally able to raise day-to-day public issues in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Even as the first assembly session after the reorganization of J&K into a Union Territory concluded today, legislators were unable to raise public issues due to the ruckus caused by the BJP MLAs ever since the commencement of the session on November 4.
The proceedings of the House were conducted smoothly after 11 protesting BJP legislators, who had been opposing the passing of a resolution demanding the restoration of special status to J&K, staged a walkout. Earlier, other BJP MLAs were marshaled out of the House.
The public issues raised by the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and Awami Ittehad Party legislators revolved around road connectivity, electricity, reservation policy, health, and education infrastructure.
MLA Tral Rafiq Naik of the Peoples Democratic Party claimed that the reservation policy was ‘discriminatory’ towards the open merit candidates and further alleged that the schools of his constituency did not have ‘sufficient’ teaching staff. He also pointed to the ‘dearth’ of doctors in hospitals.
First-time MLA from Doda, Mehraj Malik of the Aam Aadmi Party, demanded job security for locals and the waiving of heavy toll taxes. Claiming that some areas of Chenab Valley were facing up to 12–13 hours of power cuts, he demanded free 200 units of electricity for all. He also sought age relaxation in recruitment.
Awami Ittehad Party MLA from Langate constituency Sheikh Khurshid demanded regularisation of services of the daily wagers and contractual employees. He also called for a re-evaluation of the reservation policy, which he said was ‘discriminatory’.
MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq of the National Conference sought a power amnesty scheme for domestic consumers and a one-time settlement of pending dues.
The public issues were raised during the discussion on ‘Motion of Thanks on Lieutenant Governor’s Address and Reply Thereto’.
The inaugural session of the assembly on November 4 witnessed the election of NC’s Abdul Rahim Rather as the Speaker of the House, which was followed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address to the House. While obituary references were held on November 5, the uproar over the introduction of the resolution seeking restoration of special status was witnessed on November 6 and 7. It had forced frequent adjournments of sessions in the House, due to which business of the House was affected for two consecutive days on November 6 and 7 and again this morning.