Sunday 4 October 2015

Cong moves adjournment motions on pilgrims’ ST, rehab of flood victims



Party wants to corner the Government on host of issues and expose their differences

Srinagar, October 04:  In a bid to corner the PDP-BJP coalition Government, the Congress party moved two adjournment motions in both Houses of the Legislature for Monday seeking revocation of 12.5 per cent Services Tax (ST) imposed on air borne pilgrims of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji and other shrines and discussion on the Government failure to provide relief and rehabilitation to September 2014 flood victims.


The Congress legislators submitted two adjournment motions separately in Legislative Assembly and Council for suspension of entire business on Monday and taking up discussion on the motions moved by them in both Houses of the Legislature.


One of the resolutions moved by Congress MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori along with Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Usmaan Majid, Choudhary Akram, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, Mumtaz Khan and Ghulam Ahmad Wani wanted suspension of the Assembly business on Monday and discussion on 12.5 per cent Services Tax imposed by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu on the helicopter services on all the shrines in the state.


Further, Saroori said, the order would also cover air ambulance services and put burden on the patients. He said the PDP-BJP Government order will reduce flow of tourists to Jammu and Kashmir, which has already gone down this year, a fact itself admitted by the Government. “The Government should take steps to promote tourism and not to demote it as several people were linked to the tourism business,’’ Saroori, a third time MLA and former Cabinet Minister said.


Congress third time MLA and former Minister Aijaz Khan, along with G. M Saroori, Usmaan Majid, Choudhary Akram, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, Mumtaz Khan and Ghulam Ahmad Wani, have moved another adjournment motion in the Assembly seeking discussion in the House on Monday on the Government failure to provide relief and rehabilitation to September 2014 flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir.


Congress leaders said the similar adjournment motions have been moved by Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga and other MLCs in the Upper House for Monday. Congress has 12 members in the Assembly. Congress party wants to corner the Government on host of issues and expose their differences.


Saroori said that the PDP and BJP were clearly divided on the imposition of Services Tax on pilgrims of religious shrines, who undertake journey by air. The Finance Minister hasn’t withdrawn the order despite strong opposition by the BJP including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh. Similarly, the PDP has repeatedly sought early release of flood package for the Government but the Central Government, headed by the BJP, has delayed it.


Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta said that the Assembly Secretariat has received two adjournment motions from the Congress legislators for discussion on Monday. A decision on the adjournment motions will be taken as per the Rules and conveyed to the House during its next sitting on Monday, Speaker added.


Earlier from the Congress party G. M Saroori, paid rich tributes to the former President of India Late Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam and former legislators including Late Ghulam Rasool Kar, Late Mir Ghulam Mohammad, Late Abdul Gani Shah (Veeri), Late Khawaja Sona Ullah Dar, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Misger, Mrs. Farida Mir, Late Janak Raj Gupta, Late Shri Vir Chand Mahasha, Late Justice Mian Jalal-ud-Din, Ex-Secretary, Legislative Assembly who passed away between the last budget session and current autumn session of the State legislature and threw light on their contribution towards development and politics in J&K.

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