Jammu: National Conference MLA from Bani, Rameshwar Singh, on Tuesday criticized the Jammu and Kashmir administration for its inefficiency, accusing the officials of failing to implement even the promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The issue resulted in brief verbal sparring between the ruling members and the opposition BJP.
“The way the administration is functioning in Jammu and Kashmir is the worst. I have seen it. God forbid, please do not show me such a time again. Forget about us, they have not even listened to the prime minister and the lieutenant governor,” he said in the Assembly.
Speaking during the debate on the Lt Governor’s address, the National Conference (NC) MLA cited the example of a minor girl, who had raised concerns about the lack of a school building in her area.
“A minor girl raised her voice demanding the construction of a school building. It reached the prime minister,” he said.
The National Conference leader said Prime Minister Modi acknowledged it in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program and promised that a school would be built.
“The prime minister promised that the school will be constructed. After hearing him, the entire administration rushed to the area with a promise to build a school there. Even after two years, that school is still a distant dream. It has not been constructed yet,” he said.
Taking a dig at the administration, he said, “If the administration can ignore a promise made by the prime minister himself, what hope does the common man have?”
The NC leader’s remarks led to a heated exchange in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, with the BJP members challenging him on what his own party had achieved in the past four months.
“At the very least, you should have honoured the prime minister’s promise by constructing just a single room. If you couldn’t, rest assured it will be built under our rule,” Singh said in a sharp counterattack.
As the House concluded for the day, the chief minister and others patted the member.
Seerat Naaz, studying in Class 3, urged Prime Minister Modi in a video message in April 2023 to ensure basic facilities at her school in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.
The schoolgirl, hailing from Lohai-Malhar village in Kathua district, was unhappy with her dilapidated school building and made a video that was shared on social media and subsequently went viral.
Speaking about the dilapidated condition of the school, Naaz said the students are forced to sit on dirty floors, which often stain their uniforms. She also highlighted the poor condition of the toilets, problems of open defecation and the unfinished construction work of the building.
A project worth Rs 91 lakh was sanctioned to repair the school on modern lines, but the work was stalled by the contractor due to some administrative approval issues.
