Legislative Council Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate

Legislative Council
Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Poor hospitality at the JK Guest House (Kashmir House) in Delhi triggered a heated debate in the Legislative Council here recently. Legislators from both the ruling and the Opposition parties while complaining about the poor infrastructure and staff deployed there, told the Minister In-charge Hospitality and Protocol Department Abdul Rahim Rather to immediately look into the matter.

The issue was discussed in the House, when Mohammad Amin Bhat of the Congress asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the legislators and other dignitaries staying at the JK Guest House in Delhi.

On this, Naresh Gupta of the Congress also added, “The bed sheets are torn, televisions are also not functioning, no heating systems have been provided at the JK Guest House. So, the department should immediately take action in this regard”.

Another legislator, BR Magrey of the Congress said, “It is more of a slaughter house than a guest house. The acting chairman has also raised this issue with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a meeting, but no action has been taken in this regard as yet”.

He added, “The peons deputed there do not respond to the guests. Fresh staff should be sent from Srinagar, so that the situation could improve”.

On this, Abdul Rahim Rather accepted the guests were facing problems there. He said, “The Resident Commission has been provided with Rs 15 lakh for the purchase of furniture and furnishing of the guest house”.

Murtaza Ahmad Khan of the PDP said, “One Member of Parliament is residing at the Guest House for almost two years, despite the fact having a government owned residential accommodation in Delhi”.

Some other members namely Vijay Bakaya of the NC, Amrit Malhotra of the Congress also raised the same issue.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Amin Bhat said, “If we talk about the Guest Houses for legislators in our own state, the condition is pitiable. Even an insect will not stay there”.

After a long discussion, Rather said, “I knew the legislators will raise a number of questions, as the issue is related to them”.

Specifically replying to Murtaza’s question, he said, “Yes, it is true that MP Mohammad Shafi Uri had stayed there, as the Union Government had requested us to provide him an accommodation. Can anyone refuse Centre’s request? But now, he has shifted to the accommodation provided to him by the government”.

While replying to the questions of other members, he said, “The Resident Commission is already in the progress of upgrading the system. Besides this, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation has also been approached to organise a refresher training course for its staff in housekeeping, front office and room service”.

He also accepted the vehicles with the Guest House were in bad shape and the Resident Commission had requested the state government to replace them.

Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals

Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Farmers in the Jammu region are a worried lot as the irrigation canals into which the Irrigation Department will release water on April 14 are blocked with silt and garbage.

De-silting of the choked canals has not yet started, thus depriving farmers of water to irrigate their fields. Due to the clogged canals, canal water fails to reach tail-end areas of the region.

Dharam Chand, a farmer of Domana village, said, “After the wheat crop is harvested by April 13-15, water will be required for irrigating fields for the next crop. However, the present condition of the canals and tributaries is not good. Silt and garbage have clogged the network of canals at several places”.

He added, “Breaches have appeared in the banks of the canals and their tributaries at some places. The Irrigation Department has not repaired these breaches yet”.

Tejinder Singh, another farmer of the Hiranagar subdivision in Kathua district, said, “Almost every year the Irrigation Department carries out de-silting of the canals just to get crores of rupees from the state’s exchequer. The condition of these canals exposes the tall claims of the department, which has been claiming that it will provide adequate water to the farmers for irrigation this season,” Tejinder added.

A number of farmers alleged that the de-silting of the Ranbir canal, which is the main source of irrigation in the area, was an eyewash last year, as no serious efforts were made to remove silt.

“The labourers engaged for the purpose last year removed the silt and placed it on the banks of the canals. After the silt dried, it again fell into the canals,” said Duni Chand, a farmer.

However, officials of the Irrigation Department blame people for the condition of the canals saying, “The canals were de-silted last year, but people have thrown garbage into them”.

Irrigation Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, said, “Last year, an extensive de-silting drive was launched and silt and garbage were removed from most of the canals. There was no need to clean the canals this year”. He added, “The de-silting is done once in three years”.