Congress MLA exchange heated words; NC MLA’s join Saroori over setting up fire stations.

Speaker directs inclusion of Bunjwah and Khara areas for setting up fire stations

Azad during his regime had tried to set up the delimitation commission but couldn't do so in the absence of two-thirds majority

No clear stand of the Government about regularization of daily wagers as despite assurances by PHE Minister’s

Jammu, 04 March: - Congress Member from Inderwal G M Saroori today entered into heated arguments with the National Conference Minister over discrimination with certain areas in opening of Fire and Emergency Stations.

The uproar over the issue started in the Legislative Assembly when Minister of State for Sheep and Animal Husbandry on behalf of Home Minister stated that Director General, Fire and Emergency Services has submitted a proposal for establishment of 91 Fire and Emergency Stations/posts. 

However, it has been decided to regularize 43 D category Fire and Emergency Stations being run by internal adjustment in the first instance before establishment of additional stations/posts in other areas including Chhatroo, Kahara and Bunjwah areas.

Alleging discrimination with Inderwal constituency in the opening of Fire and Emergency Stations, former Minister and Congress MLA, G M Saroori remarked, “Despite being member of the Coalition, Congress is being discriminated with as during the past four years I have been demanding three fire stations but no decision has so far been taken”.

Though Mr Gurezi tried to calm down Congress MLA by stating that there was no question of discriminating with any area yet Mr Saroori was not ready to relent and asked the Minister to clarify as to what were the reasons behind not sanctioning Fire and Emergency Stations at Chatroo, Kahara and Bunjwah despite the fact that several fire incidents have taken place in these areas.

“Repeated assurances were given in this regard that too on the floor of the House during the past four years but now it is said that establishment of fire stations in these areas will be examined and would be opened subject to availability of funds/resources”, Mr Saroori rued.

The Congress MLA was joined by National Conference MLAs from Srinagar district—Peer Afaq and Mohammad Irfan Shah, who remarked, “we too have been discriminated with”, adding “during the past four years assurances are being given on the floor of the House about opening of Fire and Emergency Stations at Bemina and Zadibal but till date nothing has happened on ground”.

Later, Saroori raised the issue of inordinate delay in regularization of employees of the Public Health Engineering Department and release of their wages.

Saroori said that there was no clear stand of the Government about regularization of daily wagers as despite assurances by the then Minister for PHE, Taj Mohu-ud-Din and present Minister, Sham Lal Sharma justice has not been meted out to the workers prompting them to resort to chain hunger strike. 

“The regularization exercise should be made time-bound”, Saroori demanded.

Intervening once again, Speaker said, “verification is imperative to ascertain as to whether these daily wagers were engaged by issuing proper cash voucher or only verbally”, adding “unless this exercise is completed they cannot be regularized”.

Over delimitation commission to delimit the assembly constituencies issue Saroori did try to defend his party by saying that Ghulam Nabi Azad during his regime had tried to set up the delimitation commission but couldn't do so in the absence of two-thirds majority. He asked the people to give the Congress two-third majority in the assembly so that it could amend the Representation of People's Act (RPA) and constitute delimitation commission. This will never happen. It is difficult to say if the Congress would retain its hold over the constituencies it at present represents both in the assembly and the Lok Sabha, as the political environment in the state doesn't suit it.