Fissures in coalition come out in open

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 24

Fissures in the PDP-BJP coalition once again came to the fore when Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today boycotted a meeting to review the implementation of decisions taken at the District Development Board meetings in the Kashmir valley. Sources say Singh is miffed with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu over the direct fund transfer of Rs 10 crore in favour of a company repairing transformers.

The money had to be routed through the Power Development Department, which is under Singh, but Drabu bypassed him to transfer the funds.

Annoyed over Drabu’s way of functioning, the Deputy Chief Minister conveyed his grievance to Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, said a source. In protest, Singh boycotted the review meeting which was held in the summer capital today under the chairmanship of Mufti Sayeed.

It has been a tradition that such review meetings of both regions, Jammu and Kashmir, are attended by the Chief Minister, his deputy and other senior ministers.

The PDD owes crores of rupees to companies repairing transformers in both Kashmir and Jammu regions and at times these companies stop the repair work due to non-payment of their dues. The PDD has to pay dues to these companies but the Finance Minister, who was elected from Rajpora Assembly constituency of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, allegedly misused his position while transferring the funds.

Talking to The Tribune, the Deputy Chief Minister confirmed that his boycott of the meeting was against Drabu’s action, which was not acceptable to him.

When the Finance Minister was asked about the issue, he dodged the question and later was not available for comments.

Earlier, too, BJP leaders had complained of the Finance Minister Drabu’s high-handedness when the chopper service tax was introduced in the state without keeping the saffron party in the loop.