Srinagar, Oct 1: Ruling National Conference (NC) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Gool (Gulabgarh) constituency Khurshid Ahmad has moved a privilege notice against Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmad Rana, alleging that the minister used “unparliamentary” and threatening language against him following a disagreement over the transfer of a Forest Department official.
According to sources, the issue arose after the MLA repeatedly requested the transfer of a Ranger (Forest Department official), who is from Udhampur to Mahore in his constituency.
As per the sources, the MLA was pursuing the transfer request with the minister for nearly one-and-a-half months and had repeatedly been assured that the request would be considered.
However, during the autumn session of J&K Assembly, which culminated on Wednesday, the MLA was informed that the transfer list of Forest Department was issued and that the officer had instead been posted to the Kalakote area of Rajouri.
Following the adjournment of the House for the day on Tuesday, the MLA approached Minister Rana and raised the issue with him.
“Instead of transferring him to Mahore, the officer was posted in other area. The MLA went to the office of the minister to raise query about the issue,” the sources said.
However, the minister allegedly became furious during the interaction and behaved rudely with the MLA.
The minister, according to sources has directed his staff to “throw the MLA out” and used threatening language, including an alleged instruction to exclude the projects of his constituency from the list.
After facing the alleged humiliation, the MLA subsequently decided to move a privilege notice against the minister.
The sources said the notice was submitted to the Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly.
“The matter was not raised on the floor of the House as privilege proceedings are dealt with separately,” sources said.
Sources said the MLA was supposed to raise the issue with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding the matter, but could not do so as the CM did not attend the last day of the session because of his scheduled meetings in New Delhi.
“The Speaker would now examine the privilege notice and the minister will be asked to respond to the allegations,” the sources told Greater Kashmir.
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