NC, Congress legislature parties meet, chalk out strategies on Assembly’s Budget session

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 24

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has asked his party legislators to strongly raise the concerns of the people and their issues during the Budget session which begins with the Governor’s address here tomorrow.

While presiding over a meeting of the legislators, the former J&K Chief Minister asked his party members “to raise the angst and concerns of the people” during the session. “He told the members that the PDP-BJP government should be held accountable for reneging on all promises made in its ‘Agenda of Alliance’ and for failing to secure the state’s political rights and special status,” a party spokesman later stated. 

A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) was also held under the chairmanship of J&K PCC president GA Mir at his residence here this evening. The members discussed issues related to the strategy and play the role as a “vibrant opposition” during the session, apart from the byelection to the Anantnag Assembly constituency slated for June 19. 

Sources said that the members felt that it was not right time for holding the byelection to the seat, which fell vacant due to the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “The CLP chalked out the strategy in order to make the government answerable, accountable and responsive to the issues concerning people in the state,” a Congress statement later said.

The Congress has 12 members in the 87-member Assembly while the National Conference has 15 seats. The two parties had a coalition government led by Omar Abdullah between 2009 and 2014.  The legislators from both the parties put forth their views and gave inputs. They evolved a consensus on the strategy for the issues to be taken up during the session.

“The state government is answerable on the issues of law and order, justice and a tragic lack of political initiatives within the state that has led to an increase in local youth joining militant ranks,” Farooq Abdullah told his party colleagues. He said that the “recent attacks in Srinagar and the mishandled situation in Handwara and Kupwara earlier are instances where the state government needs to be questioned.” 

“Be it National Food Security Act, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test’s extension to J&K, apprehensions of people about Sainik Colony or separate townships for people of a particular community, they should be raised in the two Houses,” he told legislators. “There is a clear and damning perception of dis-empowerment and sabotage in the state and the apprehensions of the people are justified,” he said. He added that the “silence of the government in answering these questions has further compounded the problem and created palpable discomfort at the grassroots level.”