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Rare alignment in J&K assembly: BJP, Kashmir-based Oppn parties come together on reservation, jobs
NC ministers, meanwhile, say the government has its part and that the matter should be taken up with the Lok Bhavan and the Centre.
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The 10-day autumn session of the J&K Assembly, which began on Monday, is witnessing a rare alignment between the BJP and Kashmir-based opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Peoples Conference, over three key issues: restructuring of the reservation policy and regularisation of daily wagers, and hike in the power tariff.
The opposition parties are pressing the ruling NC-Congress government to address growing discontent among urban open-merit voters. A cabinet sub-committee report proposing revisions to the reservation framework remains pending with lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. The opposition is seeking to build support around concerns over open-merit quotas and the long-pending regularisation of workers.
NC ministers, meanwhile, say the government has its part and that the matter should be taken up with the Lok Bhavan and the Centre.
On the first day of the session, PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra sought an urgent debate, alleging injustice and deliberate delay that had pushed J&K’s youth to the wall. “The future of open-merit students cannot be sacrificed any longer,” he told the House. The PDP, PC and the BJP are spearheading the reservation issue with an eye on the urban vote base and open-merit segments.
Speaking after the assembly was adjourned on Tuesday, Handwara legislator Sajad Lone accused the NC of making false promises in its manifesto.
“Against the promise of one lakh jobs, the government has managed to create only 899 jobs till date. At the current rate, it will take them (NC) 222.46 years to create one lakh jobs,” Lone said.
Lone said the ruling party had promised to fill all vacant posts within 180 days of coming to power. Citing assembly data, he said, only 7,580 vacancies were filled in the past two years, while 40,672 posts remained vacant. “These include 24,427 non-gazetted posts, 3,318 gazetted posts and 12,927 multi-tasking staff positions which are still lying vacant. At this pace, it will take more than a decade to fill these vacancies,” he said.
He also said the NC had promised to waive application fees for job aspirants, but the government had collected crores of rupees in application fees.
Lone has also criticised the reservation issue and blamed the ruling party for failing to sort out this issue.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma accused the Omar Abdullah government of evading BJP questions on public issues. “The BJP was raising issues concerning NHM employees, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, CAMPA workers, GRS and technical assistants,” he said, adding that the “NC has failed on all fronts.”
BJP legislator RS Pathania accused the treasury benches of disrupting the House proceedings. “The ruling party is trying to disrupt the proceedings as they have failed on all fronts,” he said, adding that a government that can’t fulfil basic promises is useless. Another BJP legislator, Sham Lal Sharma, said the government should take note of the issues being raised in the assembly.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah said the government is open to debate on any issue. “The legislators, instead of trying to disrupt proceedings, should do what is their primary job: highlight the public issues and seek answers from the government,” he said.
