Jammu, February 26
The Budget session of the state Legislature had an uproarious start here today when members of the BJP, the Congress, the PDP and the BSP staged a walkout from the Central Hall after shouting anti-government slogans.
As the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, got up to address the joint session of the state Legislature members belonging to the BJP, the Congress and the PDP were on their feet and shouted “vote chor sarkar hai, hai” (down with vote thieves). For less than five minutes members of the Opposition, including Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, Mr Piara Singh, Mr Hans Raj Dogra, Mr Ashok Khajuria, Mr Prithvi Chand (all from BJP), Mr Ashok Sharma, Mr Balbir Singh, Mr Lal Singh (all of the Congress) and two PDP members were on their feet shouting slogans accusing the ruling National Conference of having allegedly rigged the Lok Sabha poll in the Jammu constituency.
Led by Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, leader of the BJP Legislature party, all members of the Opposition staged a walkout. They were followed by two members belonging to the BSP, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, and Mr Somnath who without indulging in slogan shouting left the House.
In his 40-minute long Address to the members of the two Houses the Governor said the government supported every initiative for peace but “we believe that it must be matched by a corresponding reduction in violence of which we bear the brunt.”
Mr Saxena invited all those who believed in democratic values to participate in the next Assembly poll and prove their credentials. He reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure free and fair poll and expected people and political leaders of all hues to take part in the elections “without fear or apprehension.”
The Governor dwelt at length on the security and political scenario in the state following the Central Government’s peace initiative in the shape of the non-initiation of combat operations against the militants and by way of inviting Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, to the Agra summit.
He said instead of responding positively to these initiatives the militant cadres cashed upon the ceasefire and “established new bases in areas which had earlier been sanitised by the security forces.” This resulted in an increase in militancy-related incidents and as many as 909 innocent civilians were killed in 2001.
Mr Saxena said even the Pakistan President had failed to respond to India’s peace initiative and at Agra he used the opportunity in the most “cynical fashion to score with the media. “He said the extremist outrage in New York and Washington, gruesome carnage at the Kashmir Assembly complex and the subsequent attack on the Parliament House in Delhi had not only “changed our internal security situation but has also focussed the attention of the international community on the dangers of global terrorism.”
The Governor said it was gratifying that the international community had endorsed India’s viewpoint on terrorism and has sent “unmistakable signals to its perpetrators across our border.” He said terrorism had not worked to achieve the “nefarious designs of our neighbour and it was time that those who had not realised the futility of the path of violence should learn their lesson from Pakistan’s pledge to support the war against terrorism.”
Mr Saxena saluted all those men of the police, paramilitary forces and the Army who had laid down their lives while defending the integrity of the state and the country. He listed several measures the
measures the government had taken in accelerating the pace of development works and in this connection he referred to the overall progress in the sectors of agriculture, horticulture, health care, education, irrigation and electricity.
The Governor referred to the demand for the restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, which had been endorsed by the state Legislature, and said that while it generated considerable public discussion there had been no formal response from the Centre. He hoped that the issue would receive serious reconsideration despite “the posture that is at present in evidence.”
He admitted that much was needed to be done in the power sector and said work on a couple of major projects was in progress and three other projects were on the anvil. He said despite mobilisation of additional resources the government’s scope for providing jobs to the unemployed had reached a saturation point. The wage bill had become so huge that it was not possible to create more jobs and wanted industrial entrepreneurs to open units after availing a series of incentives available in the state and once it was done more jobs could be created.
Later the Governor’s Address was placed on the table of the Assembly by the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil. The House mourned the demise of Mr B.K. Nehru, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Trilochan Dutt, a former minister, Mr Vaid Vishnu Dutt, MP, Mr M.N. Kaul, a former minister, Mr Abdul Gani Namathali, Mr Abdul Gani Malik, former legislators and Mr Chuni Lal, a BJP member of the Assembly. Besides the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, leaders of different parties paid tributes to the departed leaders. Mr B.K. Nehru was praised for his outstanding statesmanship and as Governor of state.
