Srinagar, Sep 21: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Monday hit back at the BJP for staging a protest with placards outside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, questioning why the party was raising employee issues through placards instead of using the Question Hour, and asked it to press the Centre on the promise of statehood.
Speaking to Kashmir Convener after the first day of the Assembly’s autumn session was adjourned, Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary said the Assembly meets after a gap of six months and people expect their concerns to be discussed when the House is in session.
He said the issues raised by the BJP, including those concerning NHM employees, daily wagers, power, health and education, relate to different government departments and can be taken up with the concerned ministers.
“The Assembly meets after six months. When it meets, employees as well as common people expect that their issues will be discussed,” he said.
On the protest by BJP members, Deputy CM said the party should have raised its concerns during Question Hour and Zero Hour and sought answers from the government.
“If they want to raise issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir and want to resolve them, they should sit in the Assembly and raise questions. Question Hour was there, followed by Zero Hour. They could have questioned the government and put it in the dock,” he said.
Deputy CM Choudhary said the government could then be held accountable if it failed to provide answers or address the issues raised by the opposition.
He also referred to the recent strike by NHM employees, saying they had called it off following an appeal by the concerned minister and after discussions with the government.
“NHM employees called off their strike on the appeal of the Honourable Minister. They had put forward their grievances and the government has started moving ahead to resolve the issue,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said similar concerns had been raised regarding daily wagers and other categories of employees, but claimed that several of these issues were already part of the government’s agenda.
He said the government wanted to address the concerns of Anganwadi workers and daily wagers and pointed out that these commitments were included in its manifesto.
Deputy CM Choudhary also questioned the BJP over the issue of statehood, saying the party should use its political influence to raise the matter with the Centre.
“Let them bring placards and tell the Government of India to fulfil its promise. It had said that after the elections, statehood would be restored,” he said.
He said the issue of statehood was important in the context of several demands being raised by employees and other sections, particularly those involving financial resources.
“The biggest issue today is funding. When funding comes from the Centre, it comes to us on the basis of a Union Territory. It does not come to us on the basis of a state,” he said.
Deputy CM Choudhary said the government faced financial constraints while seeking to fulfil commitments relating to different categories of workers.
He also referred to the committee constituted under the Chief Secretary to examine such issues and said the government was awaiting the committee’s recommendations.
“When we have already constituted a committee under the Chief Secretary, we have to wait for the committee,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government had earlier followed a similar process in cases where House committees were constituted and their reports were subsequently tabled.
Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary said the opposition had an opportunity to raise these matters through the established procedures of the House instead of relying on protests and placards.
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