 |
Friday,
March 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
House adopts two Bills VIDHAN SABHA SESSION 24 striking employees hurt in lathi charge Prasar Bharti
staff defer stir |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
House adopts two Bills Jammu, March 13 Moving two Bills, one regarding the payment and appropriation of certain sums from and out of the consolidated fund of the state for the services for the year 2002-2003 and the second relating to the withdrawal of certain sums from the consolidated fund for the services for the financial year 2003-2004 in the Assembly here today the Finance Minister said payment of contractors who had completed the projects assigned to them would be made. Referring to the delays in the payment of money to the contractors, employees and daily wage earners, Mr Beig said the state was faced with financial constraints and at times the treasuries remained without money. He said it was the result of
cumulative liabilities which had touched Rs 190 crore. He assured the House that these liabilities would be cleared over a period of time. Several NC members, including Mr Ajay Sadhotra and Mr Ali Mohd. Sagar, had alleged that the government had resorted to witch hunting. He said that the government would invest on the ongoing development projects while taking some new schemes in hand depending on the availability of resources. Mr Beig said the problem of unemployment has to be resolved. But this problem could not be tackled by creating new jobs in government departments. He said besides ban on the creation of new jobs the avenues were limited and hence the government was exploring all possibilities of helping the educated unemployed youth through self-employment schemes. In addition the private sector was being encouraged to set up industrial units in Jammu and Kashmir which also could resolve the problem. After an animated discussion both Bills were adopted. |
|
VIDHAN SABHA SESSION Jammu, March 13 The government stated this in reply to a question of Mr Mubarik Gul of the National Conference in the Assembly here today. The Government informed that by 2007 the state may be in a position to sell power in summer. On the issue of mounting power losses and the amount spent on the purchase of power Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig said that Rs 1281 crore to be spent for purchasing of power in the current year was part of the cumulative deficit. He said the Government purchased power for Rs 217 crore in the past four to reduce power cuts by four hours a day. During question hour Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said that the government was committed to take power generation schemes on priority. He said efforts were on arrange funds for the completion of the 900 MW Bhagliar power project. He said efforts were on encourage private sector in power generation and besides this thrust was on micro-hydel power stations. During question hour Finance Minister Beig objected to NC member. Ali Mohammad Sagar’s way of addressing the Chief Minister. Mr Beig raising his voice said that Mr Sagar had defied parliamentary norms by having not used “honourable Chief Minister” directing the question to the Mufti Sayeed. He requested Speaker, Tara Chand, to warn for it. Mr Sagar pleaded innocent. During question hour the issue of protocol of legislators dominated the discussion. The matter was raised by Dr Manohar Lal who said that the powers and privileges of the members of the House were being violated by the Government. He was supported by Mr Sagar, Mr Yogesh Sawhney of the Congress and others. The Finance Minister assured the House that the protocol of the members of the legislature was being honoured by the Government. He admitted that they deserved several other facilities and assured the members that step were on to provide library, computer, fax and phone facilities. He turned down the demand of some members for an increase in several perks and allowances on the plea that the meagre resources did not permit the government to impose additional financial burden on the exchequer. Out of five private members resolutions, two were accepted by the government, one was rejected and the fifth was withdrawn by the mover. NC member Mir Saifullah had tabled two resolutions. The one relating to provision for social security and
stipend for the unemployed educated youth was rejected by voice vote. His another resolution on a provision for providing free education, scholarship and hostel facilities to the children of the victims of militancy led to heated arguments between him and the Finance Minister. Mir Saifullah said that the 13-year-long militancy had taken heavy toll of life. The orphans in the rural areas were forced by circumstances either to resort to begging or to eke out a living as child labour or join militant groups. He said free education and jobs could check it. To his resolution Finance Minister Beig, said that the government respected the sentiments of the member and the people of the state but it was not possible to provide job to one member of every family when under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India “we cannot create new jobs. Mr Beig said “we do not want to deceive people by adopting the resolution which we cannot implement”. Mir Saifullah was pressed to withdraw the resolution which he opposed. Mr Tara Chand put it to vote and it was rejected by voice vote. Mir Saifullah withdrew his another resolution seeking job for one adult member of every family after the Finance Minister said that the matter had been incorporated in the Common Minimum Programme and the Cabinet had taken a decision on it. He, however, did not want the member to “confine the executive by the legislative powers.” One resolution by CPM member M.Y. Tarigami, seeking amendment to the Accountability Commission Act of 2002 was accepted by the House. The Finance Minister agreed to the suggestions of some members that the matter would be referred to a select committee. The House also adopted another resolution moved by Mr Balwant Singh seeking amendment to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act of 1988. In his resolution Mr Balwant Singh had sought amendment to the Act so that baridars, looking after the shrine for centuries, were not deprived of fundamental rights. He said the Act had deprived these 25,000 baridars of their source of income forcing them to get reduced to the status of beggars. The government accepted to adopt the resolution without discussion. |
|
24 striking employees hurt in lathi charge Jammu, March 13 Trouble started when the police tried to stop over 4000-5000 workers from holding a rally at the construction site in Chanderkote. Irate workers threw stones at the police injuring four of them. The police then fired several rounds into the air after lathi charge and tear gas shells failed to stop them, the sources said. Twenty workers were injured in police action, they said. The workers, on strike since Saturday last, are demanding the cancellation of termination orders of 1400 employees, release of their leader Javed Zargar and punishment to policemen responsible for crack down on workers. Terming the situation as “highly explosive”, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF) chairman, demanded a probe into the “crime by the police on workers”. Mr Tarigami, who is also member of the state coordination committee of coalition partners, told reporters that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed should get the guilty policemen suspended and institute a probe into the entire episode. “Fifty labourers were injured in police firing, cane-charge and use of tear gas on the workers at the behest of J.P. Industry management”, Mr Tarigami said outside the J and K Assembly. “I strongly protest the police action. I ask people to join and fight against the system, even if it is made by our own government”, Mr Tarigami said. Some vested interests were creating a wedge between workers and government, the CPM leader said “we don’t want to destabilise the government, but some vested interests were out to play villain in the smooth functioning of the coalition government,” he said. Mr Tarigami, who was accompanied by five other MLAs staged a walkout over this issue on Tuesday from state legislative Assembly. Talking to mediapersons on the lawn of the state assembly here this afternoon, PDF leader and CPM legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami alleged that the police had opened fire on workers of Baglihar project in Doda district, sitting on peaceful dharna after having been thrown out of jobs by Jai Prakash Industries, a contractor engaged in the project. He alleged that it might have had official patronage adding that the Doda district administration had been hijacked by JP Industries. The Marxist leader accused the present dispensation of favouring the JP Industries. "The government should not plead the case of J P Industries. Instead the Chief Minister should have sent a representative to talk to the agitating workers and find a solution." He said that he had thought that the coalition government would be better than the previous one, but unfortunately it was not following the
CMP. PTI |
|
|
Prasar Bharti staff defer stir Srinagar, March 13 A spokesman of the JCC, Mr Talha Janangir said in a statement here today that this decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the members of the JCC. He said, earlier, the members were apprised of the meeting between the representatives of the JCC with higher authorities of Prasar Bharati in New Delhi in the last week of last month. A majority of the members emphasized the need to take up the demands with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (IB) and other nodal ministries. The demands include, special package for employees working under great risk and compensation to employees working after working hours. The JCC has requested the Chief Executive Officer of Prasar
Bharti to review the issue in view of the circumstances under which the employees were performing duties in Kashmir.
UNI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
