J&K budget session to start on stormy note

FINANCE MINISTER HASEEB DRABU WILL PRESENT HIS FOURTH BUDGET; THE SESSION BEGINS ON JANUARY 11

JAMMU : The budget session of Jammu and Kashmir legislature, commencing on Tuesday, is expected to be a stormy one with aggressive opposition, keen on cornering PDP-BJP coalition government on whole host of issues.

The 'united' opposition including Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Congress and other independent legislators will target the functioning of coalition government, Kashmir situation, failure of government to ensure delivery of basic services including power, water, ration, roads and other public services.

Leader of Congress legislative party in the assembly Nawang Rigzin Jora said party will target government for not fulfilling the statutory requirement of convening the house every six months, besides other issues.

Jora said, “The government will say that they convened a three-day session in the Valley but it was not a normal session since it was summoned for passing the J&K GST bill.”

Jora further accused that both the coalition parties are pulling in opposite directions.

“Due to THEIR(PDP-BJP) divergent ideologies, the governance has taken a back seat. The security situation is particularly worrisome,” he said. He further claimed, “In last three years, around 800 security forces personnel have been martyred. The people living along the International Border and LOC are living under constant fear.”

“People gave 25 seats to BJP in Jammu region hoping that the region will lead to an era of development. But unfortunately there has been a glaring discrimination with Jammu in the appointments made by the recruitment agencies", alleged Jora.

“Also, government’s decision to regularise 60,000 casual and daily wagers in various government departments seems to be an eyewash,” he said.

“The onus to run the house smoothly and effectively lies with ruling dispensation. Congress will play the role of vibrant opposition in both the houses and make government accountable for all the commitments they had made,” he added.

The finance minister Haseeb Drabu will present his fourth budget on January 11 and the budget session will end on February 10.

Last week, speaker Kavinder Gupta sought cooperation of political parties for smooth conduct of upcoming budget session.

Parliamentary affairs minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, while seeking cooperation of the senior legislators to run the session smoothly, assured that government will extend full cooperation to the opposition during the session and provide them sufficient time.