Opposition stages walkout, alleges ‘discrimination’ in road construction
Jammu: Opposition parties Thursday grilled the government on the condition of the roads and walked out of the Assembly alleging discrimination against their constituencies.
The issue of tarred and paved roads became the focus of opposition ire during Question Hour.
Responding to a question by National Conference member Mubarak Gul, Minister of State for PWD Sunil Sharma gave details of the roads macadamised in Srinagar district in the last two years.
On this, NC MLA Shamima Firdous raised the issue of discrimination in her constituency Habbakadal, comparing the tarring and paving of roads to other constituencies represented by members of the ruling parties.
Walking into the well of the house in protest, she said just eight kilometres of road had been macadamised in two years in her constituency and sought a reply from the government.
This was followed by other members, including NC’s Ali Mohammed Sagar, Altaf Kaloo and Mubarak Gul, Congress’ G M Saroori and Independent MLA Hakeem Yaseen raising the same issue.
“Roads in constituencies belonging to NC members have not been macadamised. If you discriminate like this on road macadamisation, what will be the fate of other projects?” Sagar asked.
His party colleague Kaloo asked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was in the House, to reply and intervene to end the discrimination.
Yaseen said the state government took lists of roads from members but took no action after that.
PWD Minister Naeem Akhtar attempted to pacify them by giving a reply to supplementary questions on alleged discrimination.
But the opposition MLAs were unimpressed and exchanged angry words with the minister.
There were noisy scenes, disrupting Question Hour briefly with the entire Opposition walking out of the House.
Parliament Affairs Minister Abdul Rahman Veeri also asked the members to observe calm. (PTI)
KV Correspondent
