Speaker says MLAs’ concern is genuine
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: A couple of ruling National Conference MLAs today agitated against Science and Technology Minister Satish Sharma on the issue of solar lights saying the lights should be given more in the border areas instead of the places where they are not required.
National Conference MLA from Poonch Ajaz Ahmad Jan, raising supplementaries to his question, said the Minister has failed to give the reply about where 2499 lights will be installed.
Concerns raised by the MLAs including Nazir Gurezi and Saifullah Mir, also from ruling NC, prompted Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to intervene on the issue.
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“Concern by the MLAs is genuine. The solar lights should be given where there is no electricity. It is a good suggestions by the legislators,” Rather said.
Aijaz Jan was particularly agitated over the reply saying the Minister has said that a total of 6999 Solar Street Lights are being procured during the year 2025-26 and each constituency will get a minimum of 50 of them.
As there are 90 Assembly constituencies, the total SSLs stood at 4500.
Jan wanted to know where 2499 remaining SSLs will be given.
“The district Poonch and Pir Panjal range are border areas mostly. During shelling, the lights are switched off. The area should be given more SSLs. The hospitals, schools and Panchayat Ghars should be connected with SSLs,” Jan said.
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Former Deputy Speaker Nazir Gurezi was also highly agitated.
He said the SSLs should be given to unelectrified border areas and not the cities where they are not required.
Another ruling party MLA and former Minister Saifullah Mir too asserted that the unelectrified border villages should be given priority in installation of SSLs.
Some of the BJP MLAs were also seen agitating seeking solar lights for their constituencies.
Meanwhile, Minister Satish Sharma further said that few lights are also being installed in migrant camps and some border areas of J&K.
The Minister informed the House that in Poonch district, the material has recently been delivered for further installation, including the Poonch-Haveli Constituency.
He said that a proposal for 70 Solar Street Lights to be installed in the Poonch-Haveli Constituency has been received from the office of the MLA.
“Against a quantity of proposed 70 SSLs, 50 have already been delivered and the installation shall start shortly with expected completion by February”, he added.
Sharma said that at present no proposal for establishment of solar power plants in border villages has been formulated by JAKEDA, Science and Technology Department.
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