Pandemonium erupts in J-K Assembly as BJP MLAs object to CM’s remarks

CM Omar rules out apology to BJP, defends his remarks in J-K Assembly

‘They got scared and withdrew threat’: Omar on Pakistan playing India in T20 World Cup

J-K govt to leverage IWT abeyance to ensure long-term water security for Jammu

J&K govt examining proposal to increase honorarium of legislators’ personal assistants

Jammu: A pandemonium broke out during Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s speech in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday when the BJP members objected to some of his remarks and demanded an apology. Winding up a discussion on the Union Territory’s budget presented on February 6, Abdullah defended the government’s fiscal roadmap, saying that the budget was realistic, responsible and focused on welfare, employment generation and strengthening of rural economy. Speaking on the recent Indo-US trade deal, the chief minister said it was detrimental to the interests of Jammu and Kashmir. He also made some remarks against the BJP members, who repeatedly disrupted his speech.

The BJP legislators then stood up and assembled in the front row, terming Abdullah’s remarks “unparliamentary”. They raised slogans demanding an apology.The National Conference members also launched counter slogans.Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, who tried to persuade the members to take their seats, later informed the BJP MLAs that their protest will not be recorded.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday ruled out apologising to BJP members for his certain remarks in the Assembly, saying while he was willing to withdraw his words, he was not allowed to speak in the House amid repeated disruptions.There was no question of an apology now as the remarks were already on record, he said.`A pandemonium broke out in the House during Abdullah’s speech when BJP members objected to some of his remarks and demanded an apology, shortly before Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Abdullah was addressing the House, winding up a discussion on the Union territory’s Budget presented on February 6.Referring to the recent India-US interim trade deal, the chief minister claimed it was detrimental to the interests of Jammu and Kashmir. He also made some remarks against the BJP members, who repeatedly disrupted his speech.The BJP legislators then stood up and assembled in the front row, terming Abdullah’s remarks “unparliamentary”.

They raised slogans demanding an apology from the leader of the House, before the speaker adjourned the proceedings for the day.Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Abdullah said, “Had they (BJP members) allowed me to speak, I would have withdrawn my words myself. I was ready to withdraw them and say the same thing in a different manner. But they did not let me speak.“There is no question of offering an apology now. What has been said is already on record. Had they allowed me even a second to speak, I was standing there to say that fine, I would withdraw those words and put the same point differently. But since they did not allow me to speak, there is no question of apologising,” Abdullah said.

He also asked whom he was expected to apologise to, alleging that those “lecturing” in the Assembly about the nation and the Constitution could not even sit through the entire Republic Day function on January 26.“The Leader of Opposition (Sunil Sharma), who teaches us lessons on patriotism, I was sitting right next to him. He could not remain seated for the entire duration. At the half-way mark, you (Sharma) got up and left. And then you come here to lecture us on nationalism,” the chief minister said.

Asked about his statement that the India-US trade deal was detrimental to the interests of J-K, Abdullah said, “If you look at it now – chestnuts, dry fruits, fresh fruits, dairy products – if these are imported duty-free, what do we have left?“We do not have any marine industry, no marine food, no seafood. What we have is horticulture – dry fruits, walnut, almond, saffron, apple, kiwi… This is what we have. Now, if all these items start coming duty-free from the US, Jammu and Kashmir is bound to suffer losses.”

Abdullah also claimed that the BJP members were upset because he placed certain realities before the people.“What may benefit the rest of the country, cannot necessarily support us. I am the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. I have to speak about the interests of the people. We have no benefits from the India-US trade deal – there are only losses,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday mocked Pakistan for playing India in the ongoing T20 World Cup and said “those who issue threats must be prepared to stand by them”.The high-profile India-Pakistan match on February 15 in Colombo will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan’s government, following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, decided to withdraw its boycott call.

“Now that Pakistan has decided to play the match against India, I want to tell them that do not issue threats if you are not prepared to stand by them. They had threatened that they would not play a match against India, but then they got scared and withdrew their own threat,” the chief minister told reporters here.He said those who do not have the strength to stand by their threats should not make such threats in the first place.“They should quietly come onto the field and play the match—whatever happens in the match will happen,” Abdullah said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that the union territory government plans to fully utilise the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) to implement various water infrastructure projects.The issue of many defunct tubewells and other projects of water resources was raised by BJP MLAs including former minister, Sham Lal Sharma in the Legislative Assembly during Question Hour.

Admitting that short-term solutions to the water problems in Jammu is like covering a wound with a band aid as Sham Lal Sharma had rightly said, CM Omar Abdullah told the Assembly that the government must work on plans that look at water needs for the next 30 to 50 years since the traditional water resources would not suffice to meet the future needs.The chief minister recalled that during the coalition government of NC and Congress, when Sharma was a minister, a proposal to supply water to Jammu city from Chenab river could not be implemented because of the IWT.

“That project was sent to the Asian Development Fund through the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), but approval was denied due to IWT constraints”, CM Omar recalled.He told the House that since the IWT is under abeyance at present, there is an opportunity revisit the Chenab River water supply project for Jammu city.“Our government is working closely with the Centre to take full advantage of the abeyance of the IWT.

“We are working with the Centre on two major projects — the Tulbul Navigation Barrage on Jhelum river near Sopore in north Kashmir and lifting water from the Chenab river in Akhnoor to provide water to Jammu city.“We are hopeful of receiving approval for both the projects soon, after which work will begin,” CM Abdullah said.It may be mentioned here that the IWT was signed by India and Pakistan on September 19,1960.According to the treaty, three major rivers of Punjab i.e. the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas were ceded to India while three major rivers in Jammu and Kashmir, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab were ceded to Pakistan.

India could fully utilise the water of three rivers ceded to it, but of the three rivers ceded to Pakistan, no dam or other barrage to obstruct water could be made on these rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.Only run-of-the-river projects with limited installed hydropower capacity could be constructed in Jammu and Kashmir.The IWT, therefore, put brakes on the possibility of Jammu and Kashmir utilising the full potential of Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.After the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 last year in which 26 innocents including 25 tourists and one local Pony owner were killed by Pakistan-backed LeT terrorists, India announced its decision to suspend IWT and the suspension continues at present.

The Jammu and Kashmir government is examining a proposal to increase the monthly honorarium of personal assistants engaged with legislators in the Union Territory.This was revealed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tariq Hameed Karra in the Assembly here on Tuesday.”A proposal has been received from the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department regarding enhancement of the monthly honorarium of personal assistants engaged with MLAs,” he said.Abdullah further said that the proposal is under examination in the finance department.Karra had sought to know whether PAs attached with legislators have demanded an increase in their monthly honorarium along with entitlements such as TA and DA at par with the staff of other parliamentarians, and the timeframe for considering the demand.