WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The second day of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s autumn session witnessed legislators questioning the accuracy of information being furnished by government departments and highlighting gaps between official claims and ground-level implementation.
The concerns were raised during the Question Hour, with members seeking greater accountability from departments over the data provided to the House and the execution of schemes and works on the ground.
During a question concerning ration cards issued in Pampore, MLA Pampore Hasnain Masoodi questioned the accuracy of the information supplied by the concerned department.
While putting a supplementary question, Masoodi pointed out that the data furnished to the Assembly did not, according to him, accurately reflect the situation on the ground. The issue put the focus on the reliability of departmental information being placed before legislators during Question Hour.
Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma, while responding, acknowledged that discrepancies in such information could arise and indicated that concerns regarding departmental data had been raised earlier as well.
The exchange highlighted a larger issue of the accuracy and verification of government data being presented before the legislature, particularly when such information forms the basis for answering questions raised by elected representatives.
The issue of implementation was also raised during the discussion on sports infrastructure.
Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir sought details regarding sports grounds and other infrastructure in his constituency, including the works completed and those currently under execution. Minister Satish Sharma responded to the queries.
However, during the supplementary questions, Mir raised concerns over the implementation of sports-related works despite the availability of budgetary allocations.
He pointed out that several works were not being implemented on the ground as expected, while children and young people associated with sports were facing difficulties due to inadequate infrastructure and delays in execution.
Mir stressed the need for the government to pay greater attention to the issue and ensure that funds sanctioned for sports infrastructure translate into actual facilities on the ground.
The interventions by Masoodi and Mir brought into focus two related concerns before the House — whether the information supplied by departments accurately reflects ground realities and whether sanctioned funds and government decisions are being effectively implemented.
