Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 30: Congress MLA from Bandipora and National Conference Member from Pahalgam today staged walkout during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly on two different issues.
As soon as the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq Khan completed the reply to the question of Gulzar Ahmad Wani, the Congress MLA from Bandipora Usman Majid brought to the notice of the House that a Block Development Officer (BDO) in the Bandipora district has been transferred only because he refused to sign the bills of ‘non-existing’ works.
“The BDO is the most honest officer and he has been shifted only because of this quality”, he said and demanded that the Minister should transfer him back. He was supported by National Conference MLA and former Speaker, Mohd Akbar Lone.
Joining the issue, Hakim Mohd Yaseen said, “a House Committee should be constituted to bring facts to the fore about Rural Development Department whose functioning has already been questioned by several MLAs in the House”.
On this, the Rural Development Minister said, “the BDO has been attached on the recommendations of the Deputy Commissioner”, adding “this department is facing problems due to delay in furnishing of Utilization Certificates to the Union Government as such there should not be any slackness in timely completion of work verification activity, which was the main allegation against the BDO”.
“This doesn’t mean that the BDO has to sign the bills of non-existing works”, remarked Mohd Akbar Lone amidst demand of framing House Committee by some MLAs.
Responding to this, the Minister for Rural Development said, “give me any specific instance about any wrong thing in my department I will conduct enquiry and take action within a period of one week”, adding “framing House Committee on small issues will set wrong precedence”.
However, expressing concern over the unjustified transfer of the BDO, Congress MLA Usman Majid staged walkout.
Another walkout was staged by National Conference MLA from Pahalgam Altaf Ahmed Wani when he was not allowed to raise supplementary question about functioning of the Forest Department.
“An encroachment on the forest land is taking place in Pahalgam but the department has failed to initiate action”, he said before staging walkout.
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