Shortage of Kerosene Oil: NC, Cong legislators join Oppn in grilling minister

Shortage of Kerosene Oil
NC, Cong legislators join Oppn in grilling minister
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 25
When the Budget session resumed in the Legislative Council after six-day vacation here today, legislators from opposition and treasury benches grilled the Minister of State (MoS) for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Shabir Ahmad Khan over the shortage of kerosene oil across the state.

Demanding the setting up of a committee to inspect various areas and find out reasons for the shortage of kerosene oil, a number of legislators belonging to the NC and the Congress, besides the PDP and the Panthers Party made a hue and cry during Question Hour.

When Shabir Khan was replying to a question by Congress legislator Ravinder Sharma about the shortage of kerosene oil in Nowshera and Sunderbani areas of Rajouri district, most of the legislators were dissatisfied by the reply and grilled the minister by asking supplementary questions.

The acting chairman of the Upper House, Arvinder Singh Micky, directed the state government to look into the matter and ensure adequate supply of kerosene oil to people. The minister assured the House that “there is no shortage of kerosene oil across the state and if there is shortage somewhere, I will direct the officials concerned to look into the matter urgently. So, there is no need to constitute a committee in this regard”.

Furious over the minister’s reply, Ajay Sadhotra of the NC said, “The minister should inspect the areas and only then he will know the ground reality”. “Depute a legislator and an official of the department concerned to check the availability of kerosene oil in government depots. If they get even a single drop of the oil in the government deports, I will resign from the House,” added Sadhotra.

Meanwhile, Syed Asgar Ali of the PDP, referring to some figures provided in the minister’s reply, said the minister had provided wrong information to the House. Other legislators, including Rafiq Ahmad Shah of the Panthers Party and AG Vakil of the Congress, also raised the issue.