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| Govt spent Rs 500 Cr in 5 yrs to keep separatists, anti-nationals elements happy | | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 6: State Government has revealed that it has spent over Rs 500 Crore for providing security to separatists and ant-national elements during the past five years.
In a reply to a question in the Legislative Assembly the state government said: "More than Rs 560 crore have been spent on security and for providing VIP accommodation to separatists."
More than the State's budget (Rs 484.42 crore) proposed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan last year.
The reply stated that since 2010-11 an average of Rs 4 crore per year has been spent on the hotel accommodation alone, raising the question as to why the separatists - who are anti national elements were treated as VIPs.
Over the last five years, around Rs 21 crore were paid by the government as hotel bills for the activists. The fuel expenses are intriguing. Though they have been provided secure accommodation, it appears that the activists are in fact travel enthusiasts, clocking an average Rs 5.2 crore every year on gas. Since 2010-11, Rs 26.43 crore was spent on fuel by the State exchequer.
As much as Rs 309 crore was spent on the salary of guards and Rs 150 crore on the salary of PSOs since 2010-11.
An analyst while talking to Early Times said: "Its astounding that state tax payers' money is being unscrupulously used to cater to the princely needs of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who sing Pak raga and eat into the vitals of the state."
"My starred number 36 of assembly Question num 867 was stamped as deleted which pertained to the seeking of details from the government over the "Z" security cover given to the separatists in the state and also the amount of money spent on their unnecessary expenses ranging from providing them the five star hospitalities and PSOs as well as astronomical money show for their fuel usage and allied things," said the MLA who raised the issue in the assembly.
He said that the attempt of deleting the question without giving any answer was an act done deliberately with impunity to safeguard the interests of the handful of the persons in the state who "spit on India and symbolize treachery."
He said that those who raise the banner of revolt against India and spit venom while being the sympathizers of Pakistan have been given VVIP treatment by the state government.
Those who have enjoyed state's patronage include Hashim Qureshi, a pro-Pakistani Kashmiri separatist and one of the founding members of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front; Salim Geelani, affiliated with the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference; Zafar Akbar Bhat, chairman, Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement and Shahid-ul-Islam, spokesman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference. "Instead of putting the taxpayers' money into social welfare schemes or other employment opportunity for the youth, we are unnecessarily paying the hotel and fuel bills of these political activists," the MLA said.
Data provided by the State government since 2010-11 reveals an average Rs 4 crore per annum expenditure on the hotel accommodation alone, raising the question as to why the separatists should be staying in hotels instead of their homes and that too at the State's expense. State officials are mum on the occupants, saying that around 500 rooms are kept for protected political activists in the Valley only.
The Union Home Ministry too chips in with the grants for the State under special Security Related Expenditure (SRE), which has two components- SRE (Police) and SRE (Relief and Rehabilitation). In 2014-15, Rs 287 crore was given to the state under SRE (Police) for material and supplies, rented accommodation for security forces, honorarium to SPOs and expenditure on detainees etc. Approximately Rs 160 crore was allotted under SRE (R&R).
But despite huge sums spent in the name of security, the State government has kept the names of the activists enjoying security cover under wraps.
The MLA said he had tried getting the details from the government earlier as well, but was refused by the State authorities. He also pointed out the existence of 'Uncategorised Political Activists' in government files, claiming that many have received the privilege just as a perk.
Ridiculing spending such huge amount on security of separatists, Shafiq Mir, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference said: "They don't have money to provide security to Panchs and Sarpanchs who stood for democracy, But they pull their purse string for separatists who are responsible for killing of Sarpanchs by giving poll boycott calls and calling them as traitors,'' Mir said. |
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