Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 7: The Upper House of the State Legislature today passed a Private Members’ Resolution seeking enhancement of pension of the ex-Legislators.
The Resolution was moved by the National Conference MLC, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo with the plea that ex-Legislators be given pension equivalent to 50% of the total emoluments being paid to the sitting Legislators of the J&K State in view of present inflation and hardships being faced by them.
While justifying his point, Kichloo said that ex-Legislator also remains active and connected with the people even after his tenure. “He infact does not retire from public life. He move with the public wherever he is required and is always surrounded by the people after even after his retirement. He has to offer tea or drinks as well as courtesy and with meager pension he is unable to run his life smoothly. Even for costly medical treatment he is not able to afford. Therefore, his pension be given reasonable hike,” he added.
Majority of the members including Naresh Gupta, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Surinder Choudhary, Pardeep Sharma and Showkat Ganai supported the Resolution. Some demanded that pension should be atleast Rs one lakh, some Rs 80,000 and others said it should be above Chief Secretary as the protocol of MLA/ MLC was higher than the Chief Secretary. They said Rs 50,000 pension was not enough during these days of inflation.
Though Minister for Agriculture Production Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura requested the members to withdraw the resolution stating that hardly last year the salary of Legislators was given good hike, their Medical Allowance was also raised to Rs 5000 per month besides providing other facilities about car loan and house loans etc. He said it will not be fair to go for this hike at this juncture and moreover, State was facing financial crunch. The Minister even assured the members to examine the matter.
As the members were not prepared to withdraw the resolution, the Chairman put the same for voting. It was then passed unanimously with voice vote without any opposition.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas moved a Resolution calling for “the House resolves in the light of Iqbal Khanday (CS) Committee Report and further in the back ground of commitment made by the Government in the previous sessions of the Legislative Council, Government shall establish Urdu Council by or before the end of current financial year viz March 31, 2018.”
Responding to the issue, the Agriculture Minister informed the House that the Government is committed to constitute Urdu Council for which the proposal with regard to financial implication is at the final stage in the Finance Department. The Minister assured that the Council shall be constituted within two months.
On the assurance by the Minister, the member withdrew the resolution.
Earlier, Naresh Kumar Gupta, Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ashok Khajuria, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Pardeep Kumar Sharma and Saifudin Bhat spoke in favour of the motion.
Ghulam Nabi Monga moved a Resolution that “the House resolves that the “Passenger Sheds” to be named as Passenger Places/Passenger Bays”.
Legislators Vikram Randhawa, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Firdous Tak spoke in favour of the motion.
The motion was unanimously passed by the House.
Girdhari Lal Raina, moved a Resolution that “the House resolves that in order to ensure all round development of the State, a computerized management, monitoring, information and intervention system at District Development Commissioner’s level be developed with a definite time frame so that all Development/Social Welfare Schemes/Programmes are implemented in the State effectively”.
While replying on behalf of the Government, the Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Nabi Lone said that there is already a system in place for monitoring and management etc in each office of District Development Commissioner. He said that the Government has also implemented Centrally sponsored scheme Direct Transfer Benefit (DBT) scheme which too is being monitored at all levels.
After satisfactory reply from the Government, the Member withdrew the motion.
Earlier, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Pardeep Kumar Sharma favoured the motion.
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