Many legislators running units on own, kin’s names
DDC Chairperson, Members too not behind
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 10: Several politicians, irrespective of their political affiliations, owned 31 stone crushers in Jammu and Kashmir. They include sitting MP, MLAs, former Ministers, DDC Chairperson and members etc having crushers either directly on their names or the names of their family members.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Former Minister Jugal Kishore Sharma and sitting BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma, also a former Minister have four crushers each on the names of their kin, according to information given in the Legislative Assembly today by Mining Minister Surinder Choudhary in response to a written question of BJP MLA from RS Pura-Jammu South constituency Dr Narinder Singh Raina.
“There are 31 stone crushers in Jammu and Kashmir owned, directly or indirectly, by politicians, bureaucrats and their close associates/relatives,” the Mining Minister’s reply to Raina revealed.
Four stone crushers are being run in partnership with Ankush Sharma, son of Sham Lal Sharma, the sitting BJP MLA from Jammu North MLA and former Minister. They are Shiv Shakti, Sai Stone Crusher, Mahavir Stone crusher and Shri Ram Stone crusher.
BJP’s third-time Lok Sabha member from Jammu Jugal Kishore Sharma himself owns M/s JK Stone Crusher while his brother Nand Kishore, also a BJP leader, who contested 2014 Assembly elections on BJP mandate from Nagrota, owns Maa Durga Stone Crusher.
Former Minister Jugal Kishore Sharma’s brother Kuldeep Kumar also owns four stone crushers namely Shrine Stone Crusher, Chenab Stone Crusher, Kanjali Stone Crusher and Ramban Stone Crusher.
Jugal was Minister in PDP-Congress coalition Government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad and then represented Reasi Assembly seat.
Mian Mehar Ali, NC MLA from Kangan, Javed Iqbal Choudhary, NC MLA from Budhal and Vikram Randhawa, BJP MLA from Bahu also own the stone crushers. However, the Government reply said the crusher owned by Javed Choudhary (Multi Tech Infra Eng Stone Crusher) is non-functional. Mehar son of NC MP Mian Altaf owns Valley Stone Crusher, Estate Kachnambali Kangan while Randhawa’s crusher is named Choudhary Stone Crusher.
Narsingh Stone Crusher is owned by sitting BJP MLA from Jasrota Rajiv Jasrotia’s wife while Shiv Shanti Stone Crusher is owned by Rajesh Gupta, brother of BJP MLA from Udhampur West, Pawan Gupta. Vishv Karma Stone Crusher belongs to the `bhabhi’ of BJP MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, former Minister.
Former Minister GM Saroori, a three-time MLA from Inderwal in Kishtwar district, also owns Chenab Stone Crusher while sitting PDP MLA Fayaz Mohammad Mir’s brother Firdous Mohammad Mir owns seasonal Geomatics Infrastructure Pvt Ltd Crusher at Hanjipora Fayaz Mir, the MLA Kupwara is also former Rajya Sabha member.
Former MP and Minister Choudhary Lal Singh’s relative Rakshwardan Singh owns Jai Rajputana Stone Crusher but, as per the Government reply, it has been closed. Former Minister Govind Ram Sharma’s son Vijay Kumar Sharma too owned New Trikuta Stone Crusher.
DDC Poonch chairperson Tazeem Akhter’s daughter-in-law owns Masood Stone Crusher while former BJP MLC Pardeep Sharma, also from Poonch, owns Sharma Stone Crusher. Gurdeep Singh Khalsa, BJP district president Poonch too has a stone crusher named Bharat Stone Crusher.
Abhinandan, DDC member from Hiranagar in Kathua district has two stone crushers on the name of his father named Deepak and Sudesh Stone Crushers while BDC member Billawar, Ashok Kumar too owns two stone crushers named Sheetla Stone Crusher and Varun Dev Stone Crusher.
Former DSP Anayat Ullah Khan too owns a stone crusher named National Stone Crusher. NC leader Sunil Verma, district president Udhampur has stone crusher by the name of Tawi infrastructure while BJP Corporator Sunil Paroach and Congress ex Corporator Ashok Gupta too have stone crushers running on the names of Quality and Bhagwati Stone Crushers.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
