In a dramatic exchange during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday, BJP and National Conference (NC) MLAs were involved in a clash over the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also joined in, saying that the growth witnessed in PoK was initiated by China to a great extent, with no or negligible participation of the government of Pakistan.
Abdullah made the comment after a furious exchange of words between BJP and NC members over the state of border regions in the area. He added, "We need to realize that while there has been some development on our part, on their side, intentional attempts have been made to create an impression of development."
Still, he further added, "This so-called development in PoK was not initiated by Pakistan but was facilitated by China."
The Chief Minister also pointed out that India never asked foreign aid to develop its infrastructure in the border areas. He condemned the show of development in PoK, stating, "The government of PoK made the people put on coats to give the impression of development, but actually, the pockets of those coats are empty."
In another key development in the Assembly, the issue of malpractice in the Rs 401 crore National Saffron Mission (NSM) was on top of the agenda. The NC and CPI(M) members demanded a thorough probe into the suspected irregularities in the scheme to increase the production of saffron in Kashmir.
NC MLA from Pampore, Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, and CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, expressed apprehensions of mismanagement of the project and asked the government to hold an inquiry to ascertain whether money was misused or the project mismanaged.
Agriculture Minister Javed Dar replied to the concerns, assuring the House that the issue was being examined. "If needed, a departmental inquiry will be set up," he said.
The National Saffron Mission was initiated in 2010 by the UPA government led by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with the aim to rekindle saffron farming in the area.
The multi-crore project aimed at implementing contemporary farming methods, enhancing irrigation, and raising the overall yield of saffron. But mismanagement charges, project failure, and inability to achieve targets have put its performance into question.
In another development, Sajad Gani Lone, Handwara MLA from Kupwara district, walked out of the House in protest after his motion to revise Article 370, the PSA, and police verification processes were disallowed by the Speaker.
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