Opp stages walkout from JK Assembly over Jammu lake project

The members of opposition and a BJP MLA today staged a walkout from the state assembly over the alleged delay in Jammu lake project and the "false figures" given by the ruling dispensation regarding it after the government said 80 per cent of the work on execution of barrage has been completed.
Replying to a question of BJP MLA Gagan Bhagat, Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi said work on the design and construction of barrage across Tawi river at Belicharana in Jammu, which is part of artificial lake, has been taken up for execution by Irrigation and Flood Control Department.

She said the execution of the work is estimated to cost Rs 69.70 crore against which an amount of Rs 57.35 crore stands released and utilised by end of March 2016. Eighty per cent of the work has been completed, she said.
Bhagat, however, objected to the reply and demanded setting up of a House committee to probe the claims.
As the government did not respond to his demand, Bhagat tore the answer sheet, threw it in the House and staged a walkout. Then members of National Conference and Congress resorted to protests and sloganeering and alleged that the government had done little for Jammu region.

They alleged that the government had failed to give fillip to tourism projects started by the previous government and later staged a walkout from the House.

"Today's walkout is not only to protest Jammu Tourism but the discrimination with the region on different developmental projects. This walkout reflects the voice of Jammu people in the House," NC MLA Devender Singh Rana told reporters here.
"It is not only the fate of one lake project, it is fate of all the tourism projects in Jammu region, be it Mansar- Surinsar Lake project or Patnitop project or Sanasar, all projects are in bad shape and work has been stopped," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Independent MLA from Udhampur and former minister Pawan Gupta, who also walked out from the House, said "The reply was vague and incorrect and the figures were totally false (with regard to lake project). Are we blind. Can't we see the fate of the project? The government tries to fool us.