SRINAGAR: Expressing concern over exclusion of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) while drafting Master Plans (MPs) for the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, Speaker Kavinder Gupta today said government should first involve local legislatures and then it should be put in public domain.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Asiya Naqash said that the there was no need to seek suggestion for developing Srinagar Master Plan. However, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh who said that 85 per cent of the Srinagar plan was ready assured that elected representatives would be taken on board before putting the SMP draft in the public domain.
“We (MLAs) received notification to put forth our views on Jammu Master Plan a day before the cut off time. It was then put on public domain for discussion. The government should first involve local MLAs who represent the people and then it should be put in public domain,” he said.
The Speaker was reacting to concerns put forth by ruling PDP MLA Muhammad Ashraf Mir. The concern was echoed by MLAs, cutting across party lines, from Jammu and Srinagar district. Mr Mir said the previous government had already spent Rs 2 crore on a report on master plan for Srinagar which was created by a national firm.
However, he said the recommendations were not even assessed by the Government. “We (MLAs) represent the people of the state and Srinagar is the most important part of it. But we have been kept in the dark on the Srinagar master plan, which the current government is coming up with the help of local engineers.
Why can’t we hire experts from outside as this master plan is supposed to transform the city into a model city,” he said. To this, Ms Naqash said that the there is no need to seek suggestion for developing Srinagar Master Plan.
“The people who are working on the plan are competent enough to come up with this master plan. It is the prerogative of the government to accept or reject recommendations made by the firm,” she said.
However, the Speaker intervened and expressed concern over the exclusion of the MLAs from the Master Plans for the twin capital cities. The Deputy Chief Minister later informed the House that the 85 per cent work of the Srinagar Master Plan has been completed. Responding to criticism over exclusion of the MLAs, he said the elected representatives would be taken on board before putting the SMP draft in the public domain. (AGENCIES)
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