JAMMU, Mar 18: The issue of construction of a 5-Star Hotel at Mubarak Mandi heritage complex by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Mode rocked the Legislative Assembly today with Opposition MLAs from Jammu alleging that a ‘‘non-entity and land grabber', who was ‘‘illegal’’ vice chairman of the NGO had floated tender for the hotel.
All MLAs of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National Panthers Party (NPP) and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) staged a walk-out in the Assembly to protest the construction of hotel at Dogra heritage in Mubarak Mandi describing it as an attempt to destroy the rich heritage of Dogra culture.
The MLAs alleged that several crores of the Government money have been kept at the disposal of the NGO, whose vice chairman (Gulchain Singh Charak) was neither a MLA nor a MLC. They declared that any attempt to sell Dogra heritage for construction of a 5-Star Hotel would be foiled by the people of Jammu tooth and nail.
Raising the issue in the Assembly after Question Hour, NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia said a tender has recently been floated by a NGO-Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society-in a national newspaper for construction of a 5-Star Hotel at Mubarak Mandi heritage complex in PPP mode.
All MLAs of BJP, NPP and JSM were on their feet over the issue. They pointed out that when Omar Abdullah automatically succeeded Ghulam Nabi Azad as chairman of the Society after change of guard in the State, how the vice chairman (Gulchain Singh Charak), who had got the post by virtue of being a R&B Minister, continued to function on the post.
‘‘It's a Government committee. The vice chairman is not even a MLA or MLC. Tourism Minister (Rigzin Jora) should have been appointed vice chairman of the Committee'', NPP MLA Harshdev Singh said.
Mr Singh described the vice chairman as non-entity while BJP City East MLA Ashok Khajuria said a ‘land grabber’ has been ruling the roost in the Government committee and trying to spoil Dogra culture by floating tender for construction of a 5-Star Hotel at Mubarak Mandi.
‘‘The Dogra culture was required to be protected and not destroyed. We would oppose any attempt for construction of a hotel at Dogra heritage to give benefits to some people and earn money by the NGO'', the members shouted charging the NGO with making an attempt to ‘‘sell Dogra heritage''.
The Opposition legislators demanded a statement from the Government. Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone said the issue has been raised today and the Minister could reply later.
However, this didn't satisfy the protesting MLAs of Jammu Opposition, who wondered how crores of rupees of the Government money could be kept at the disposal of a ‘non-entity and land grabber'. They wanted to know from the Government the criteria adopted for construction of a 5-Star Hotel over 120 kanals of land, all of which was part of Dogra heritage and culture.
Intervening to pacify the agitated Opposition MLAs, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani admitted that Mubarak Mandi has historical and social importance and the Government has initiated several projects to preserve it.
Mr Wani said if any problem has arisen, the Government would look into it.
Not satisfied with the Minister's reply, the MLAs of BJP, NPP and JSM started shouting slogans `Land Grabbing Naheen Chalegi'. After protesting in the House for a couple of minutes, all Opposition MLAs from Jammu staged a walk-out in the Assembly.
Prior to this, the BJP MLAs walked-out from the Assembly to protest floating of a tender by Katra Municipality, which party MLA from Reasi Baldev Sharma said, has been charging 12 per cent tax from pithoos, poneywallahs, palkiwallahs etc, thus, fleecing them.
The issue was initially raised by Mr Sharma at the start of Question Hour and again after the end of Question Hour.
All BJP MLAs including Legislature Party leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Ashok Khajuria and Jugal Kishore, supported Mr Sharma.
The MLA Reasi claimed that Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) was ready to pay Rs 8 crore worth taxes collected per year from coolies, poneywallahs etc by the Katra Municipality as it was bringing a bad name to Katra country wide.
``The SMVDSB is ready to pay the taxes from its offerings. However, ignoring the offer, the Municipal Committee, Katra has once again floated the tender for auction of pithoos contract'', Mr Sharma lamented.
Prof Gupta said the tax on labourers should be immediately waived off and process of the tenders stopped.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Tara Chand intervened on the issue saying since the Governor happened to be the chairman of the SMVDSB he had to speak to him before commenting on it.
The BJP MLAs demanded that till then the process of tenders should be stopped. Mr Sharma said the Municipal Committee, Katra can go ahead with the tenders if the SMVDSB didn't accept the proposal of paying money for the taxes collected from pithoos.
Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone said the Government couldn't be forced to act upon what the MLAs say.
Baldev Sharma was close to front row while insisting on his point of stopping the tenders immediately. All BJP MLAs then staged a walk-out from the Assembly.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, NPP MLAs-Harshdev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia and MLC Rafiq Shah, who raise the issue of Mubarak Mandi complex in the Legislative Council, said the Government of India money has been kept at the disposal of a NGO and private people have taken control of it.
Harshdev said a tender has been floated by the NGO for construction of a 5-Star Hotel in 120 kanal area of Mubarak Mandi.
``It is an abuse of the Government exchequer that the officials funds have been given in the hands of suspicious private persons. Under what consideration and criteria, the Government property has been kept at the disposal of NGO. We want a reply from the Government. The people want an answer. The conspiracy behind misuse of crores of funds by a private person should be exposed'', he added. BJP MLA-Ashok Khajuria joined by his party colleagues--Baldev Sharma, Durga Dass and Bharat Bushan, said when the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society was formed it was headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad in his capacity as the Chief Minister while the then R&B Minister (Gulchain Singh Charak) became its vice chairman.
‘‘Now with the change of guard, either Tourism Minister Rigjin Jora or MoS Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani should have been appointed as vice chairman of the Society. Instead, he said, a ‘non-entity and private person' was still working as its vice chairman'', Mr Khajuria said.
He described the construction of hotel as ‘‘open land grabbing’’ and declared that the BJP would launch an agitation to protect Dogra heritage and culture.
BJP MLA Baldev Sharma said that 12 per cent tax on pithoos, poneywallahs etc by the Katra Municipality was bringing a bad name to the yatra and should be withdrawn immediately.
He said welfare tax has also been charged by the Municipality Katra from the pithoos but not spent on their welfare.
Source -- Daily Excelsior..
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