Refuses To Attend Office, Leaves Jammu for Srinagar
SRINAGAR: Peeved at being allotted insignificant portfolio of Science & Technology and Animal Husbandry Sajad Lone, chairman of Peoples Conference left Jammu for Srinagar on Wednesday instead of attending his office at the civil secretariat here. Asked whether he was unhappy with the portfolio allotted to him, Lone told KNS, why should I be unhappy. Asked why he was leaving office and moving to Srinagar instead he said. I have a very important unavoidable personal engagement in Srinagar. Lone said the tickets for which were booked four days back.
However sources said that Sajad Lone was under pressure from Peoples Conference workers not to take charge of less important portfolio.
Lone will not be joining office and any cabinet meetings in coming days, KNS quoting party sources said.
Meanwhile senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh Wednesday said that the party can change or exchange the portfolios.
I talked to Sajad Lone and it was very pleasant talk with him. I also came to know that he has gone to Srinagar for his personal reasons. But if for any reason he is not satisfied with the portfolio, then let me tell you that we can change or exchange the portfolios, Singh said.
The party will meet in Handwara to decide on future course of action.
People’s Conference, which has two MLAs, also termed as betrayal on part of the BJP which has found a new friend in PDP.
PC ANGRY
Admitting that Sajad Lone is neither going to assume the charge of IT & Animal Husbandry ministries nor going to attend any cabinet meeting, Peoples Conference legislator Bashir Ahmed Dar Tuesday said that the supporters of Peoples Conference were unhappy and have been asking Sajad Lone to refrain from assuming charge of low profile Ministry.
Yes, our supporters are unhappy and annoyed and they have been continuously advising Sajad Lone not to assume the charge of the portfolio, Dar said adding that Lone skipped office in Jammu and flew to Srinagar as his aunt who lives in Hariya Kupwara had passed away some days before.
Dar said that he himself has been receiving scores of phone calls from the supporters who show anger and resentment and, request me to persuade Lone not to join Cabinet.
Responding to a question, Bashir Ahmed Dar who was elected on PC ticket from Kupwara said that they are not going to make a submission neither before the BJP nor PDP and in no way will try to persuade them to allocate some important portfolio to Sajad Lone.
Bashir Ahmed Dar said that Peoples Conference will call a meeting and will chalk out strategy for future after taking all the supporters into confidence. Whatever, we have to do in future, we will do it with the consent of our supporters, he said.
Meanwhile, PDP legislator also did not assume his charge as Minister for Horticulture, Haj and Auqaaf. He however said that due to his personal engagements, he was unable to assume the charge and his absence from Secretariat should not be taken otherwise.
Ministers assume office
JAMMU, MARCH 4: Following allocation of portfolios by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed yesterday, Council of Ministers today assumed the office of their respective ministries. Besides Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Kumar Singh, Ministers who assumed charge include Minister for Finance, Labour and Employment and Culture, Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Parks, Syed Mohammad Altaf Ahmed Bukhari, Minister for Health and Medical Education and ARI and Trainings, Lal Singh, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash, Minister for Revenue, Javaid Mustafa Mir, Minister for Rural Development, Abdul Haq Khan, Minister for Social Welfare, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Bali Bhagat, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Relief and Rehabilitation , Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari, Minister for Education, Naeem Akhter, Minister for Public Health Engineering, Sukhnandan Kumar, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, Minister for Agriculture Production, Ghulam Nabi Lone and Minister for Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Service and Sports, Imran Raza Ansari.
Ministers of State who took charge of their office are Minister of State for Cooperative (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Ladakh Affairs, Chering Dorjay, Minister of State for Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control, Animal Husbandry and Forest, Abdul Majid Padder, Minister of State for Public Works (R&B) and Revenue, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Power Development and Housing and Urban Development, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Rural Development and Horticulture, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Minister of State for Information, Education and Culture, Priya Sethi and Minister of State for Health, Social Welfare and Transport, Asiya Naqash.
On the occasion, people from various walks of life called on the Minister and felicitated them on assuming office.
Meanwhile, respective Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments briefed the Minister about the organisational and functional details of their respective departments.
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