Cong-NC members clash in Pahari Board meeting

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 30: Members of ruling National Conference and alliance partner Congress took on each other during the meeting of State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, which was marred by heated exchange of words, allegations and counter allegations as well as boycott by some members.
Soaring relations between the coalition partners apparently fueled the reservations of some members over performance of the Board and alleged in-action of the State Government on the issues of Pahari speaking people.
As a few members having affiliation with Congress, accused the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Social Welfare Skina Ittoo of not taking interest in addressing the grievances of Pahari speaking people, members from National Conference objected to the allegations. It soon led to heated exchange of words between the Congress and NC members and then a walkout by the former.
Chaired by Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Vice-Chairman of the State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People and attended by all the members, the meeting was held to review implementation of decisions taken in previous meetings of the Board.
According to the sources, resentment was high among majority of the participating members who strongly voiced their concern over no follow-up action on the decisions taken by the Board in its previous meetings.
As soon as the meeting began, sources added, some members from Congress alleged that the State Government and particularly the Social Welfare Department were not taking any interest in addressing the issues of Pahari speaking people. They highlighted the alleged mismanagement in Pahari Hostels and pointed out that no money was released under Pahari Sub-Plan for the last two years.
Sooner the grievances turned into allegations and a political divide virtually prevailed upon the Board members. Majid Khan from Congress accused the Minister for Social Welfare Skina Ittoo of sabotaging the move for ST status to Pahari speaking people and alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was also not taking action in this regard. The Congress member’s remark invited sharp reactions from Nasir Khan, Bashir and other NC members who alleged that the Congress-led UPA Government in Centre was delaying ST status to Pahari speaking people.
It led to heated exchange of words between NC and Congress members. After a pandemonium for some time, Majid Khan along with several other Congress members staged a walkout from the meeting amidst raising of slogans and vociferous protest.
The high-voltage drama continued for around half an hour till Kefeel-ur-Rehman and MLC Ravinder Sharma, who was also present in the meeting as one of the Board members, intervened and pacified the agitating members to rejoin the meeting.
Mushtaq Bukhari, former Vice-Chairman of the Board, who was special invitee, had left the meeting only a few minutes before the high-voltage drama.
When contacted, Kafeel-ur-Rehman confirmed that some Congress members tried to raise the issues outside agenda of the meeting resulting into allegations and counter allegations besides boycott.
Meanwhile, according to an official spokesman, Kafeel-ur-Rehman while addressing the meeting, highlighting achievements of the Board during the past five years of coalition Government and informed that four boys Pahari Hostels were opened at Jammu, Baramulla, Anantnag and Kupwara while 3 Girls Pahari Hostels have been made functional at Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara with intake capacity of 100 each. Besides, he added, the annual plan of the Board has touched a high of Rs 16 crore as against Rs1.80 crore in 2008.
He said during the current year, 1,69,000 students are being covered under Pre Matric scholarship scheme with an estimated expenditure of Rs 13.20 crore as against 70 thousand students covered during 2008-09 while about 3200 students, studying in different colleges and universities, are being covered under the post Matric scholarship scheme. The PSP Board has also launched its official website recently to ensure more transparency and accountability in the Board.
Radhy Shyam Sharma, Vice Chairman Kissan Board and MLA Nowshera also addressed the meeting and suggested several innovative measures for streamlining of functioning of the Board.
Syed Shokat Hussain Kazmi, secretary of the Board gave a power point presentation highlighting the progress of the board under different programmes besides projecting the status of implementation of pending decisions.
Among other members, Mirza Abdul Rashid, Rasheed Masooodi, Syed Yasin Shah Karnah, Qazi Mahboob Illahi, Zinda Dil Khan and Manzoor Ahmed Masoodi from Kupwara, Mohd Hussain Khan and Fayaz Ahmed Khan from Baramulla, Mohd Iqbql Malik, Mohd Akram Khan, Karamat Malik, Vinod Mahajan from Rajouri Ashowni Kumar and Harbans Lal Sharma from Nowshera, S Harcharan Singh Baby, S Gurdev Singh,Haji Khurshid Manhas,Nabi Khan,Rahim Dad Ex MLC, Abdul Majid Khan, Mumtaz Zulfiqar Khan, Poonch, Zahid Sarfraz Malik,Muhtaq, Lodhi Khan attended the meeting.
Besides, Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, Nasir Khan former MLC, Mohd Aslam Khan, Nisar Rahi and Advocate Hussain Ahmed Sadeeqi were the special invitees in the meeting.

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