Jammu- The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed uproar on Thursday as treasury and opposition benches clashed over an Independent MLA’s demand for a probe into alleged extravagant spending on chartered flights and other expenses in the Union Territory.
Members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress called for the formation of a house committee to investigate the expenditure of crores of rupees by the administration on guests visiting the region.
During discussions on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s grants, MLA Shabir Ahmed Kullay from Shopian raised concerns over ₹35 crore spent on chartered flights and hospitality, including for G20 events.
“I received details in the cut motion about this massive spending. A probe is necessary,” Kullay asserted. He questioned who authorized the funds and who benefitted from the chartered flights, calling it a case of bureaucratic corruption.
Several treasury bench members backed the demand for an inquiry. “A house committee must be constituted to investigate,” NC’s Javaid Beigh said, prompting NC, Congress, and some Independent members to stand in support.
BJP members, however, countered the demand, arguing that the funds were used for G20 guests and tourism promotion. BJP leader Balwant Mankotia defended the Chief Minister’s authority over the expenditure and suggested the probe should also cover spending since 2009.
This led to a heated exchange between the benches, with verbal duels and disruptions halting proceedings for a while.
NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq reiterated the call for a probe, questioning who approved the expenditure and for whom. Congress’s Nizamuddin Bhat emphasized the need to uphold the Assembly’s sanctity, stating that the allegations must be verified through an official committee.
BJP’s Pawan Gupta, however, demanded that the accusations be backed by evidence, arguing that the House should not entertain baseless claims.
In response, Independent MLAs Shabir Ahmed and Mehraj Malik walked to the Speaker’s podium, presenting documents they claimed as proof.
PDP’s Fayaz Mir also weighed in, supporting the demand for a house committee, emphasizing that the issue involved state guests, including G20 delegates.
As the debate grew more intense, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened, urging members to maintain decorum. He assured that the Chief Minister would address the concerns in his reply to the grants discussion.
“The chief minister is still here. He will address them during his reply on the grants. The concerns will be addressed,” he said.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
