How SROs have been issued without first passing Budget: Omar
Srinagar, Jun 1: Jammu and Kashmir government today put implementation of various budget proposals on hold for 2016-17 after opposition leader Omar Abdullah objected to saying the Assembly had not approved the proposals yet.
As soon as the House assembled, Omar raised the issue saying the budget proposals have been implemented by the government even as the House was still conducting the general discussion on these proposals.
“We know you have the numbers and you will pass the budget anyway. But there could have been some good suggestion from here (assembly),” he said.
Omar said the orders for implementation of the budget proposals were issued by the government the same day the Finance Minister made his speech in the House.
“It is the contempt of this House. This house cannot be taken for granted. You (speaker) do not have to protect the government all the time. You have to protect this House also,” the former chief minister said.
“The SROs concerning taxes were issued by the finance department in the evening which nullifies existence of the House and Opposition,” he added.
“If Budget is proposed, at least give it three to four days of discussion before implementing, so that there would be possibility of some good suggestions from the house.”
“This approach of the finance minister has taken house for granted. We want justice in this regard,” he added.
The legislators of National Conference, Congress and independent members supported Omar's opposition and demanded early withdrawal of the SROs.
Congress members led by Nawang Rigzin Jora also questioned the rationale of passing the implementation orders when the discussions had not been completed and the House was yet to approve the proposals.
“If the government has to work like this, then what is the need of the Opposition in the house,” Opposition Congress Legislative Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora said.
Replying to the objections, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu said that this is not a new practice and is in existence from a long time and even center is following the same pattern.
“There is nothing wrong in issuing SROs on taxes which are proposed in the budget, as the state assembly has followed the line of center in implementing it,” Drabu replied.
In the course of ruckus, independent MLA from Udhampur Pawn Gupta accused the BJP legislator of running monopoly in the house.
“You have violated the rules and run the House as per your wish which is disrespect of the house and its members,” Gupta said.
As the uproar was about to erupt in the House, Speaker Gupta directed the government to stop the SROs implemented by the finance department.
Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said it was an established practice in the state and the Centre that notifications are issued after budget presentation.
“If there is any discomfort on this account, we will put these orders on hold,” he added.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta directed the government to put on hold the orders for implementation of budget proposals till the same are passed by the House.
Meanwhile, opposition National Conference (NC) raised the issue of implementation of various proposals made in the budget in Legislative Council also, saying there was no fun in having a discussion on the budget in the House if they have already been put into effect.
“The government has implemented the proposals made in the budget and also issued orders in this regard. When it has happened, then there is no fun in having discussions on the budget. What is the aim of these discussions in both the Houses then?” NC MLC Ali Mohammad Dar said.
He was speaking on the general discussion over the budget for the year 2016-17 presented in the state legislature on May 30.
Dar said the budget neither focuses on daily wage workers and nor does it talk about panchayati institutions and the rehabilitation of flood affected people in the state.
“There is no focus on daily wagers, on how to regularise their services. They are still getting meager daily wages of Rs 150. I request the government that till their services are regularised, their wages be increased.
“Similarly, there should be an increase in the salary of panchayat members,” he said.
He said if there was a need to implement 7th Pay Commission in other states, why cannot it be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dar's party colleague Sajad Kichloo termed the budget as “directionless and visionless”.
Congress MLC Naresh Gupta said the government needs to take “practical approach” to resolve the issues of daily wagers and contractual employees.
“The budget does not mention what policies the government will take to fight unemployment in the state. The finance minister has taken money from one pocket and put it in another. This is a futile exercise,” he alleged.
Terming the budget as “balanced”, ruling PDP MLC Zafar Iqbal Manhas said it would help in taking the state forward on the path of development.
There are many programmes to fight unemployment especially the new initiatives in private sector and enhancing entrepreneurship, Manhas said.
He, however, said the finance minister should focus on electrifying those villages where there is still no power.
Also, there is no mention about Paharis in the budget.
They should be empowered economically and cannot be neglected, he said.
Terming the budget as “objective”, BJP legislator Ramesh Arora said the finance minister has dared to talk about negativity in certain areas. He first pointed out irregularities and then offered solutions to them, he said.
However, he suggested the government should amend those proposals in the budget which could “pinch a common man”.
There is a tax of Rs 50 per connection per month on cable TV, that should be removed. Mobile phones and i-pads, which are a need these days, should be removed from the D-1 list, he said.
Arora also said there was a need to further improve the working condition of police in the state and VAT on CSD items should be totally removed.
