Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 1: Main Opposition-National Conference today disrupted the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly for nearly one and half-hour over alleged discrimination with Kashmir valley in allotment of power sector funds by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government prompting the Speaker to marshal out some MLAs and adjourn the House.
As soon as the House started its business of the day, National Conference MLAs created a ruckus over the release of funds for the repair of damaged transformers and accused the PDP-BJP Coalition Government of adopting discriminatory policy towards the flood victims of Kashmir valley.
The National Conference was supported by independent MLA from Langate, Engineer Abdul Rashid, who along with three National Conference Members —Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar and Altaf Ahmed Wani left their seats and moved near the Well of the House in protest against the discriminatory release of funds.
“Kashmir Ke Saath Insaf Karo”, “Kursi Ke Liye Kashmir Ko Mat Becho” and “PDP Walo Jawab Do” slogans from the agitating National Conference MLAs rented the House. They were countered by BJP MLAs-Ravinder Raina and B S Pathania, who shouted “Drame Bazi Bandh Karo Bandh Karo”. As Speaker’s repeated directions to the agitating NC MLAs and Engineer Rashid for resumption of seats failed to yield results, the Chair started the Question Hour.
After sometime, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Basharat Bukhari assured the House that Deputy Chief Minister, who is also holding the portfolio of Power Development Department, would give a reply on the issue as soon as he joins the House proceedings. Even Speaker, Kavinder Gupta again tried to control the situation by assuring the Opposition members that he would let them take up the issue during Zero Hour and even ask the Government to respond on the issue. However, the Opposition continued with their protest.
Amidst protest, National Conference MLAs—Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, Altaf Ahmed Wani, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar and Engineer Rashid entered the Well. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, Speaker issued directions for these Opposition members to be marshaled out of the House while adjourning the proceedings for 10 minutes.
On this, National Conference MLA from Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana remarked, “this is wrong. They (agitating MLAs) should have been heard instead of being marshaled out”. Interacting with media-persons outside Assembly, National Conference MLA, Nazir Ahmed Gurezi said, “the Government yesterday released an amount of Rs 3.5 crore for the repair of damaged power transformers in the State, out of which Rs 2.5 crore was released for Jammu and Rs 1 crore for Kashmir Valley”.
“Why this discrimination with the people of Kashmir, who have suffered more due to the incessant rains and floods. The power infrastructure in Kashmir valley has suffered more damages because of the floods”, he said while making it clear that they will not tolerate this discrimination with the people of Kashmir.
“The Speaker has muzzled our voice by not allowing us to raise our voice within the Assembly”, another National Conference MLA, Mubarak Gul told the media-persons, adding “we are not against Jammu region but want equal treatment for all the three regions of the State. While releasing the funds they should have known that Ladakh too has to be catered from within the funds released for Kashmir”.
Accusing the PDP of being a “sellout” to BJP for the sake of power, the NC member said after the formation of the Government PDP has forgotten the Kashmir valley. “They have forgotten the promises made to the people of Kashmir”, the NC Member said.
When the House re-assembled at 10.50 am, National Conference MLA Nazir Gurezi and Independent Member Engineer Rashid again entered the Well of the House. “You cannot stop us from raising the issue of discrimination by throwing us out”, Gurezi remarked.
Later, Speaker allowed Mr Gurezi to highlight the issue. “They (Government) always claim that it will bring an end to the discrimination but release of only Rs 1 crore for Kashmir valley is glaring example of injustice with the flood-hit people”, Mr Gurezi said, adding “we are not against any region but we want fair deal”.
On behalf of Deputy Chief Minister, Forest Minister, Bali Bhagat intervened and said, “the concern expressed by the MLAs is genuine and a serious issue”, adding “I assure that no discrimination with any region would be allowed and in second installment we will take care of this shortfall”.
But National Conference MLAs expressed dis-satisfaction over the reply and asked the Government to fix time-frame for release of more funds for Kashmir valley. On this, Speaker said, “let the Deputy Chief Minister come, he will give you specific reply”.
On this, NC MLA, Devender Singh Rana shouted: “Where is Deputy Chief Minister. During the last nearly one and half hour we are being told that Deputy Chief Minister will give statement. Where is he?  “This House is more important than any other engagement of Deputy Chief Minister”, he further said.
CPM MLA, Mohd Yousaf Tarigami said, “we are not against any region or sub-region. Let’s not give different color to the issue”, adding “we want sufficient funds for the Valley as due to floods huge number of transformers are defunct and need to be repaired”.
Forest Minister once again intervened and reiterated that there would not be any regional imbalance. “I assure that justice will be done to Valley”, he added. On the assurance of Forest Minister, protest from National Conference came to an end.
Defending the Government’s action, BJP member Ravinder Raina told media-persons outside the Assembly, “Because of heavy rainfall, the transformers in Jammu have suffered huge damage and in the wake of upcoming summer season they need immediate repair. I don’t think there is any discrimination in this”.
“The opposition members should have allowed proper functioning of the House and taken up the issue without disrupting the proceedings”, he said.

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 1: The Legislative Assembly today witnessed heated exchanges between CAPD Minister Zulfikar Choudhary and NC MLA Devender Singh Rana when the latter threatened to take law in his own hands by demolishing the Toll Plaza at Ban Talab near Nagrota on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway as the BJP maintained that construction of the Toll Plaza had started during the tenure of previous NC-Congress coalition Government.
Rana, the NC MLA from Nagrota, raised the issue for second consecutive day in the Assembly during Zero Hour and demanded disbanding of the Toll Plaza on the ground that the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway hasn’t been completed as yet.
Industries and Commerce Minister and BJP leader Chander Prakash Ganga countered Rana saying it was the previous National Conference-Congress Government, which had allowed construction of the Toll Plaza.
“It was during the tenure of the previous Government that construction of the Toll Plaza had started and now the NC MLA is raising the issue when he is in opposition,’’ Ganga said.
An agitated Rana said just like the one Toll Plaza was removed by the people, this Toll Plaza too will not be at its place in next seven days.
“If that is the way to remove the Toll Plaza, I will adopt it. I am saying this it in the House. I will remove the Toll Plaza from Ban Talab,’’ Rana said in an angry tone.
Reacting to the open threat given by Devender Rana in the Assembly to uproot the Toll Plaza, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Minister Zulfikar Choudhary said this was highly condemnable that a MLA, who is a lawmaker, is threatening to take the law in his own hands to demolish the Toll Plaza.
“What can be expected from the people, if a MLA says that he will break the law. He is issuing the threat inside the Assembly. If he does so, the law will take its own course and the MLA will have to face the law,’’ Zulfikar said.
Pointing out that Rana was MLC and very close to corridors of power when construction of the Toll Plaza had started, the Minister said he did nothing then to stop it and was now threatening the Government.
Intervening, Speaker Kavinder Gupta said such statement shouldn’t have been made in the House by Rana.
Rana’s party colleague, Kamal Arora and Congress MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori also supported him saying the demand projected by Rana is genuine and should be considered by the Government.
Ganga again responded saying the Toll Plaza had been constructed with the complete consent of Rana.
“Why did you allow the construction of the Toll Plaza during your Government’’? the Minister put a counter question to Rana.
Rana said it was unfortunate that the treasury benches were encouraging the people to break the Toll Plaza.
“I have been taking up the issue in the House politely but there is no reply from the Government. My politeness is being treated as my weakness. This will prompt the people to take to roads,’’ Rana warned.
Zulfikar said the concern expressed by Rana is “ours concern also’’ but the MLA must know that this matter is not in the purview of the State Government. “The Union Ministry of Surface Transport deals with the Toll Plazas,’’ he said and reiterated that if the MLA takes law in his hands, the law will take its own course.
Rana warned that he was being forced by the Government to take law in his hands.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 1: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have alerted security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir including Jammu and Kashmir Police that the militants could try to take advantages of floods and ongoing heavy rains to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the State and called for more intensified vigil during the disturbed weather conditions.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MHA and the IB has sounded all security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain “extra ordinary vigil’’ in the State during adverse weather as there were reports that the militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) have reached close to LoC and IB and were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory.
“There have been reports that the militants could take the route of Nullahs along the IB and snow clad mountains to infiltrate into this side when it was raining heavily almost in the entire State for past four to five days with no chances of improvement in weather conditions in next few days,’’ sources said.
Defence spokesman Col SD Goswami admitted that such a possibility (infiltration attempts by the militants under the cover of rains in Jammu and Kashmir) can’t be ruled out as this had happened during devastating floods in September also.
“We are fully alert. Though the Army is also helping in rescue and relief operations, it has not lowered guard on the borders. Rather, we have stepped up our vigil and counter-insurgency and counter-militancy operations remained our prime concern,’’ he said.
Col Goswami said the militants could try to take advantage of adverse weather conditions prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir for the past few days but troops were maintaining very high sense of alert all along the LoC to thwart the militant designs.
During devastating floods in September also, there had been reports that some militants had managed to infiltrate into the State.
In last month’s twin attacks at police station and Army camp in Kathua and Samba districts, security forces had recovered one jacket along with track suits and boots from near the weather, which had reportedly been used by the militants to swim into this side either from Gabbar or Tarnah Nullah along the IB in Hiranagar sector.
Some of the Nullahs were not completely fenced and the BSF had to maintain vigil there by round-the-clock patrolling. Moreover, in some areas, the fencing is washed away due to floods in the Nullahs and heavy rains, sources pointed out but said the BSF was maintaining strict vigil in all such areas to thwart intrusion bids.
On the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch also, there had been some Nullahs and passes, which become flooded in heavy rains.
“The militants were trying to take advantage of these Nullahs and passes to infiltrate during the rains. This was amply clear from the intercepts of the LeT and HM outfits. However, Army on the LoC and BSF on the IB was maintaining alert to counter plans of the militants,’’ sources said.
The alert sounded by the Intelligence agencies pointed out that the militants of LeT and HM have suddenly become active across the LoC and IB with a view to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir under the cover of floods and heavy rains, which have been lashing the State for the past few days and could continue for some more days, sources said.
They added that the MHA and IB alert has been taken very seriously and all security agencies have taken pre-emptive measures to thwart any possibility of infiltration attempts by the militants.