Mayhem in J&K Assembly over transfer of hydel power projects

Over half-a-dozen opposition legislators from the National Conference and Congress were marshaled out of the Legislative Assembly as chaotic scenes marked the proceeding during Question Hour. The session turned ugly when entire opposition accused Mufti led government of lying before the House and the general public on the issue of transfer of the hydel power projects with NHPC to the state.

As the session proceeded, agitated members stormed into the well, banging table and tearing off the copies of the audit report on state finances, revenue and PSU lying there. However, disruptions continued as the members again returned to the House creating ruckus, making the government to table all the audit reports amidst pandemonium and Speaker adjourning the House till 3 pm.

Earlier, trouble erupted when former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stood up drawing Speaker’s attention towards the government’s reply to a question in Parliament that the matter involved financial and legal implications.

“Why did you lie in the House saying that the power projects will be transferred to the state…Why did you make the Governor too say the same lie in his joint address to both the Houses,” Omar asked.

He was immediately joined by the entire opposition including Congress, CPI(M) and the independents, who started raising slogans like “dhokhebazi nahin chalegi”. While Omar along with some senior colleagues kept sitting on their seats, others came into the well raising slogans.

As the Speaker repeatedly pleaded to maintain peace and decorum, members on the treasury benches stood up to raise counter slogans against the opposition members. Speaker Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House for ten minutes. Though when the House reassembled, the uproar continued with the Opposition members raising slogans.

The treasury and Opposition benches even traded charges, with Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh telling NC and Congress legislators that they failed to get the power projects when they had been in power both at the Centre and in the state. “What you could not do in six years, you now want it to be done in 15 days,” Singh said. Singh also added that talks are on with the Centre on the hydel power issue.

However, as upheaval continued, the Speaker again adjourned the House for five minutes.

Source:: Indian Express