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| PDP MLAs cry discrimination with Sgr | | Srinagar Board Meeting | | Hyder Ali
Early Times Report
srinagar, May 21: It was chaos at District Development board meeting for Srinagar chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here on Saturday as MLAs from the ruling-Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)-led Government cried "discrimination" with the summer capital and "rampant rise in corruption".
Former minister and MLA Amira Kadal Syed Altaf Bukhari minced no words to acknowledge that "step-motherly treatment was being meted with the City" adding that influential families were calling the shots in the Government.
Bukhari was seen openly seconding the observations made by his party colleague and MLA Sonawar Muhammad Ashraf Mir, who confronted Vice-Chairperson, Lakes and Waterway Development Authority (LAWDA), Sarmad Hafeez over "rampant illegal constructions" being undertaken along the banks of famed Dal lake in violation of the High Court orders.
"The rich and influential are being allowed to construct hotels, guest houses and other mansions in brazen violation of building permission norms whereas LAWDA disallows the poor even to repair their bathrooms. This is sheer injustice," Mir told the board meeting accusing the LAWDA of rampant "corruption and favoritism."
Altaf Bukhari seconded Mir to add that a leading businessman was being allowed to construct huge a five star hotel illegally in Nishat locality and the Government was acting as mute spectator. "That rich man (leading exporter of handicrafts) is being allowed to construct the big hotel only because he enjoys influence," Bukhari said.
On this the Chief Minister, as per sources, responded saying that Bukhari was to be equally blamed. "The last time, when you too were a minister, you defended such (illegal) constructions saying what has been constructed may not be demolished but now (out of power) you are talking in a different tune," Mehbooba responded to Bukhari's observations.
The PDP MLAs including Bukhari, Mir and Javaid Mustafa Mir said Srinagar was being subjected to discrimination, adding that civic amenities like street lights were in mess. Bukhari said archaic sodium vapor lamps installed in the iconic civil lines need to be replaced with LEDs.
The trio apparently took inspiration from opposition National Conference leader and MLA Khanyar Ali Muhammad Sagar. Accusing Mehbooba Mufti of behaving like "Chief Minister of PDP", Sagar said there was discrimination with Srinagar in every sphere of development including budgetary allocations. "There has been an open, nude and brute discrimination with Srinagar. What is the fun of holding (such meetings) when you have nothing in store of Srinagar, which apart from being most populated district is capital as well?" Sagar argued.
Interestingly when Sagar took at dig at Education Minister Naeem Akhter saying he was resorting to political vendetta with Srinagar to set personal scores with NC leaders, some of the MLAs from PDP could be seen nodding their heads in support.
Finding everyone washing the dirty linen in public, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Commissioner, Bashir Ahmed Khan too jumped in the fray with complaints against the ruling Government. "We are managing over 30,000 street lights with mere one engineer whereas we need at least two full divisions of PDD to work under us for this task," Khan told Chief Minister.
Trying to plead the Government, Commissioner, Tourism Farooq Ahmed Shah seemingly diverted the attention saying water transport and construction of walkway on Hari Parbat fort was on cards. To this Sagar reacted: "Why spend money on walkway when rarely any tourists visit the site (Hari Parbat)."
Senior officials privy to the meeting said there continued to be confusion for some time they found it difficult to ascertain, which party the MLAs represented. "We were confused if it were the MLAs from the ruling Government or the opposition. It was like pastry fight which is typical of Bollywood movies," a senior official told Early Times.
However MLA Hazratbal Aesiya Naqash, MLA Batamaloo Noor Muhammad and MLC Khurshid Aalam were seen sitting silent for most part of the meeting, which lasted for over four hours at SKICC on the banks of Lake Dal.
Aesiya looked confident as she sat next to Mehbooba and avoided confronting Sagar, who made a veiled attack on her. Most of the MLAs from Srinagar termed the district development board meeting a "symbolic exercise." "Nothing tangible transpired, it was just a formality while the behavior of MLAs left most of us red-faced," said a senior official privy to the meeting. |
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