BJP MLA inspires Oppn fury, stage walkout from Assembly

JAMMU SPECIFIC PROJECTS

JAMMU: The members of opposition and a BJP MLA today staged a walkout from the state assembly over the alleged delay in Jammu lake project and the "false figures" given by the ruling dispensation regarding it after the government said 80 per cent of the work on execution of barrage has been completed.
Replying to a question of BJP MLA Gagan Bhagat, Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi said work on the design and construction of barrage across Tawi river at Belicharana in Jammu, which is part of artificial lake, has been taken up for execution by Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
She said the execution of the work is estimated to cost Rs 69.70 crore against which an amount of Rs 57.35 crore stands released and utilised by end of March 2016. Eighty per cent of the work has been completed, she said.
Bhagat, however, objected to the reply and demanded setting up of a House committee to probe the claims.
As the government did not respond to his demand, Bhagat tore the answer sheet, threw it in the House and staged a walkout. Then members of National Conference and Congress resorted to protests and sloganeering and alleged that the government had done little for Jammu region.
They alleged that the government had failed to give fillip to tourism projects started by the previous government and later staged a walkout from the House.
"Today's walkout is not only to protest Jammu Tourism but the discrimination with the region on different developmental projects. This walkout reflects the voice of Jammu people in the House," NC MLA Devender Singh Rana told reporters here.
"It is not only the fate of one lake project, it is fate of all the tourism projects in Jammu region, be it Mansar- Surinsar Lake project or Patnitop project or Sanasar, all projects are in bad shape and work has been stopped," he said.
Speaking to reporters, Independent MLA from Udhampur and former minister Pawan Gupta, who also walked out from the House, said "The reply was vague and incorrect and the figures were totally false (with regard to lake project). Are we blind. Can't we see the fate of the project? The government tries to fool us."
Sethi told reporters the project has three components to be set up. One is the work on design and construction of barrage across Tawi river, second is the beautification of embankments and third is diversion and treatment of sewerage channels that fall into Tawi and pollute it.
One part of the project is construction of barrage, whose work has been completed by 80 per cent, not that of an entire project, she said.
Hitting out at the previous National Conference-Congress government, Sethi said it did not take into consideration the pollution caused by sewerage channels falling into the river which is worshipped in Jammu.
They did not create any project to treat sewerage water or divert the channels, she said, adding that this government is going to make detailed project reports for the same.
She also took a dig at NC and Congress members for creating a "false" impression of delay in the project. She said credit goes to the present government for ensuring beautification of the banks of Tawi by proposing to set up Sabarmati-type river fronts.
The project of the lake has been upgraded by integrating other aspects by this government. The projects of sewerage channels and beautification are being dealt by Housing and Urban Development Ministry, she said.
Tourism department, which she deals with, has the least liability in the project, she added.