Jammu, Feb 10: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had given approval to the Katra ropeway project and not the Council of Ministers or the State Administrative Council (SAC).
CM Omar made these remarks at the very outset of dayís proceedings in the J&K Legislative Assembly, on his own to ìcorrect the House (LA) record.î
His reference was to the issue which found mention during the debate on general discussion of J&K budget and generated heat between the treasury benches, led by the Deputy Chief Minister and the opposition benches a day earlier.
ìWith regard to Mata Vaishno Devi ropeway project, it was stated in the House that it (project) was approved by the cabinet – the Council of Ministers. I tried to get the official records extracted on this account, myself scrutinised that and came to know that there was no approval to it by the Council of Ministers,î the Chief Minister said, addressing the Chair, as soon as the House assembled for the dayís proceedings.
He said that he tried to find out if the State Administrative Council (SAC), which was there before the elected government took over, cleared it. ìYet I found out that it (project) did not come before even the (State) Administrative Council. Finally, I came to know that this issue in September, 2024 was brought to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor and he as the competent authority gave his sanction. This approval was given just a month prior to the election – and before the formation of the (elected) government – by the Lieutenant Governor,î the Chief Minister said.
He said that it (project) did not have the cabinet approval. ìSpeaker Sir, I want that the record should be corrected as an attempt is being made to mislead the House and the people through it (House). In an emotional outburst, the MLA had threatened to resign (if proved wrong),î CM Omar said.
As NC members, including the Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, with whom BJP members had heated arguments in the House on Monday, demanded that the member should resign, the Chief Minister said that they (NC) did not want his (MLAís) resignation.
ìLeave this issue now. We donít want his resignation. Speaker Sir, I just wanted to set the record straight. Kindly get it corrected in the House record,î CM Omar said.
On Monday, during the second sitting, the House witnessed uproar and heated arguments between the Deputy Chief Minister joined by NC members and the BJP legislators over this (Katra ropeway) issue.
The issue was raised by Choudhary, when BJP MLA Baldev Raj Sharma while participating in the debate supported the construction of the ropeway.
The Deputy Chief Minister accused the BJP of working against the interests of different sections of Reasi people, who were opposing its construction.
The BJP MLA referred to the court order and the projectís clearance by the J&K cabinet following National Green Tribunalís directions.
ìIím ready to resign if proved wrong,î he said.
However, Choudhary said that it could not be constructed in a dictatorial manner against the wishes of people.
He was supported by agitating NC members, eliciting counter-protest by the BJP MLAs.
