*Speaker to discuss with Govt extension of sitting hours
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Mar 13: In an open defiance of his own party leadership, National Conference MLA Basheer Ahmed Veeri today accused NC Chief Whip and his deputy of being dictatorial.
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Angered over not being listed to speak in the House during discussion on grants of Health & Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education Departments today, Veeri, who represents Bijbehara Assembly segment, thundered that “dictatorship” of the party’s Chief Whip and his deputy would not work in the House.
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“We all members have to address our constituencies in the House. We have reached here not due to mercy of any individual,” he said, while raising point of order before the Chair.
“You (Speaker) are custodian of the House and individual rights of the members. Chief Whip and his deputy are making their selective moves, but their dictatorship would not work in the House,” he added.
Stung over own party MLA’s allegations, NC Chief Whip Mubarak Gul stood from his seat and sought the Speaker’s intervention to tell Veeri how many times he had spoken in the House and raised the questions.
“The member should have facts on the number of times he had spoken and raised questions as well as supplementary in the House,” he said.
Speaker Abdul Raheem Rather, however, asked the duo to sit together and settle the issue on their own.
During the discussion on demands, Speaker also corrected BJP MLA Shagun Parihar after she alleged that some members of the House had criticized the Lt Governor.
“No one has ever spoken even a single world against the Lt Governor. I am witness of this and you should take your words back,” said Rather who took serious note of the BJP MLA’s remark.
All this happened when several members of the House were urging Speaker to extend the time stipulated for discussion on grants of Education, Social Welfare and Health and Medical Education due to extreme significance of these departments and concerns of the MLAs.
In a lighter vein, BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia said that MLAs as well as Government have no powers and thus no work to do and hence there should be no hitch in extending the time of discussion.
“MLAs have no CDF (Constituency Development Fund) and powers to get anyone transferred. Both Legislators and Government are jobless,” he said, while urging the Speaker to allow more members to speak on grants.
Javed Beigh of NC also expressed concern over the members not getting time to speak on grants and said: “How could MLAs face their constituency people if they don’t highlight issues of public concern in their respective segments?”
Surjeet Singh Slathia of BJP appealed the Speaker to either extend the business days or ensure double sittings of the House to accommodate maximum legislators for their participation in the discussion on grants.
Explaining that the budget for 2025-26 is required to be passed by March 26 and any delay in this regard would lead to crisis, the Speaker, however assured that an extension in sitting hours of the days would be discussed with the Government.
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