Chaos prevailed in the J&K Legislative Assembly on Monday, which led to disruption of proceedings when ruling party (NC) MLAs and those from opposition PDP clashed over SASCI scheme in the House. As a result of prolonged uproar, the House was adjourned for over an hour.
Minutes before the adjournment, BJP MLAs staged an en masse walkout, accusing the Chair of being biased and not allotting them time to speak. Disorder erupted in the House when PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para accused the government of pushing the Union Territory into a ‘debt trap’ by implementing the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, triggering sharp exchanges across party lines.
Para, supported by fellow PDP legislators and Independent MLA Sheikh Khurshid, faced strong resistance from members of the ruling National Conference (NC), leading to heated verbal clashes. Mubarak Gul, who was presiding over the House, made repeated attempts to restore order before adjourning the sitting about half-an-hour ahead of schedule.
Speaking during the budget debate, Para targeted the NC-led government, alleging that the SASCI scheme was being misrepresented as a welfare initiative. “The Chief Minister and NC MLAs are celebrating the introduction of SASCI, but this is not a development scheme,” he said.
Para argued that raising loans from the market would only deepen financial distress and set a dangerous precedent. “Instead of honouring that mandate, the government is effectively putting the entire UT on sale,” he said, urging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to reconsider the scheme. He warned that unchecked borrowing could push J&K towards conditions faced by economically distressed nations, such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary led the government’s response, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated and accusing the opposition of ‘playing to the gallery’ by misrepresenting a financial framework meant to accelerate development.
Raising broader governance concerns, Para said expectations from the NC government were high at a time when Jammu and Kashmir was facing ‘unprecedented challenges’. While acknowledging the constraints under which the present dispensation was functioning, he said public aspirations could not be ignored.
He claimed that only around 12 per cent of the budget had been utilised so far and alleged zero spending on nearly 100 projects, including those related to agriculture, horticulture, health and education. Para questioned whether administrative paralysis or a dual power structure was responsible for the poor expenditure. Highlighting social concerns, he said youth constituted nearly 70 per cent of the population, with reports suggesting that around 32 per cent suffered from depression.
Follow us
