Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today raised a wide range of public issues during Zero Hour, drawing the Government’s attention to concerns relating to water supply, road connectivity, agriculture, education, healthcare, disaster relief, civic amenities and infrastructure across the Union Territory.
MLA Langate Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh raised the urgent issue of bringing back the mortal remains of a student from his constituency who died in Chandigarh, urging the authorities to expedite the process. MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone supported the demand and sought Government facilitation.
Responding to the issue, Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said that immediately after receiving information about the matter, he had contacted senior officers there and provided them with all necessary details. He said the authorities were in touch and expressed hope that the mortal remains would be brought back at the earliest without any further delay.
Raising the issue of pending Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) works, MLA Trehgam Mir Saifullah and Sajad Gani Lone sought early resumption of the stalled works, pointing out that the matter had been referred to a House Committee and its report had remained pending for nearly two years. They urged that an early decision be taken in the larger public interest so that people awaiting water supply facilities, as well as contractors associated with the works, are provided relief.
MLA Udhampur West, Pawan Kumar Gupta also highlighted pending payments under JJM and urged that the matter be taken up with the Government of India. He further sought rationalisation of staff of the Jal Shakti Department in Reasi and Udhampur districts for efficient functioning of water supply schemes.
MLA Lolab Qaysar Jamshaid Lone flagged the deteriorating condition of water sources, including drying up of wells, and sought early commissioning of water supply schemes nearing completion.
Road connectivity and infrastructure also figured prominently during Zero Hour. MLA Chenani, Balwant Singh Mankotia drew attention to the dilapidated condition of PMGSY roads across J&K and the alleged lack of proper maintenance despite availability of funds from the Government of India.
MLA Bandipora, Nizam -Ud-din Bhat raised issues concerning PMGSY road connectivity in tribal areas besides highlighting the issue of Sumbal-Bandipora Road.
MLA Poonch Haveli, Aijaz Jan sought protection works against recurring floods to safeguard vulnerable houses and demanded restoration of damaged public infrastructure.
MLA Ramban, Arjun Singh Raju also raised concerns regarding infrastructure and emerging requirements linked to education and employment. He also stressed the need to improve the employability of students and align traditional courses offered by educational institutions with emerging employment opportunities
Members also highlighted disaster-related losses and the need for adequate compensation. MLA Rajouri, Iftkar Ahmed sought enhancement of compensation for families in Poonch and Rajouri whose houses were damaged during floods. Similarly, MLA Beerwah Shafi Ahmad Wani demanded adequate compensation for farmers affected by hailstorms in the Beerwah constituency.
MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Rather(Tarigami ) raised the issue of weather-based crop insurance scheme.He also called for a comprehensive scheme for promotion and protection of saffron cultivation across J&K and urged the Government to ensure stringent quality checks on pesticides, in view of concerns raised regarding their possible harmful effects. Additionally, MLA Rajpora Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir sought a comprehensive survey to assess crop losses suffered by farmers due to recent rains.
On education and youth-related concerns, MLA Inderwal, Pyare Lal demanded upgradation of High Schools to Higher Secondary Schools in his constituency, stating that students are required to travel long distances for higher secondary education.
MLA Pahalgam, Altaf Ahmad Wani sought upgradation of Middle Schools and High Schools in far-flung areas of the constituency into High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools respectively.
MLA Tral, Rafiq Ahmad Naik demanded establishment of a Sub-District Hospital in his constituency besides seeking age relaxation in recruitment rules to expand employment opportunities for eligible youth.
MLA Bishnah Rajeev Bhagat highlighted shortage of space at Government Degree College in his constituency and sought adequate accommodation for students and faculty, besides raising the issue of development of border areas.
Moreover, the issues of Public safety, civic amenities and urban issues also came under discussion. MLAs Waheed Parra and Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi raised the issue of civilian traffic movement along National Highway from Qazigund to srinagar.
MLA Hazratbal Salman Sagar raised concerns over the increasing number of dog-bite cases in Srinagar and called for a dedicated mechanism to address the issue. He also highlighted sanitation-related concerns and stressed the need for concerted measures to improve cleanliness and a comprehensive plan for decongestion of Srinagar city.
MLA Bhaderwah Daleep Singh Parihar sought provision of adequate public amenities at tourist destinations in Bhaderwah besides demanding establishment of a Development Authority for Doda and Bhalesa areas.
MLA Ramnagar Sunil Bhardwaj sought a CBI inquiry into the alleged duping of women Self-Help Group members in his area in connection with what he described as the ‘Haldi Scheme’ scam. He urged that the matter be thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to account.
MLA Doda Mehraj Malik and MLA Rajpora Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir also raised issues concerning water supply in their respective constituencies.