Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 25: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Legislative Assembly today over the issue of administrative units with the Opposition MLAs alleging that the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee was politically motivated.
“The administrative units announced by the Government on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee are politically motivated as several deserving areas have been left out”, PDP MLA, Abdul Rehman Veeri said while raising supplementary to the clubbed question of G M Saroori, Yash Paul Kundal and Jagdish Raj Sapolia.
“Though the Government has announced an expert committee to consider the fresh demands yet there seems to be no seriousness behind the same as the committee has not been formally constituted”, Mr Veeri said.
Another PDP MLA, Peerzada Mansoor said that Shangus constituency was completely ignored by the Cabinet Sub-Committee. “This is the only constituency where no administrative unit was sanctioned by the Government”, he added.
“Several deserving areas have been neglected”, remarked PDP MLA from Mendhar Rafiq Khan while as PDP MLA from Bandipora, Nizamuddin Bhat said, “I had demanded tribal block but the same has not been considered”.
CPM MLA, Mohd Yousaf Tarigami too sought to know when the expert committee will be constituted so that deserving and neglected areas could be provided justice. “The questions on the seriousness of the Government to give practical shape to the announced administrative units are being raised as no funds have been earmarked for the creation of infrastructure”, he said, adding “even no time-frame has been fixed for making these administrative units functional”.
PDP MLA Syed Bashir questioned the demarcation exercise especially when expert committee will consider the fresh demands while as Abdul Haq Khan, Ashwani Sharma, Hakeem Yaseen, Aijaz Jan and Balwant Singh Mankotia demanded justice to the ‘deserving’ areas of their respective constituencies while considering the fresh demands.
Jagdish Raj Sapolia demanded that boundaries of the new administrative units should be finalized in consultation with the Panchayats in order to consider the aspirations of the people.
Congress MLA G M Saroori asked the Government to fast track the creation of posts in order to make the newly announced administrative units functional within shortest possible time.
As there was no end to the demands from the members of the House, Speaker, Mubarak Gul directed them to send recommendations to the expert committee for consideration.
Earlier, while replying to the main question, Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Ajaz Ahmed Khan informed the House that nearly Rs 1300 crore would be required for creation of requisite infrastructure for new administrative units in the State and Rs 257 crore for meeting the recurring expenditure, adding that Government would strive ensure to arrange adequate funds for the purpose.
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