PDP enters into verbal duel with Minister over appointments

The state Legislative Council today witnessed uproarious scenes after opposition PDP entered into a verbal duel with a Minister over recruitment of contractual employees in the gardens and parks department.
In a reply to a question during the question hour, Minister of state for Horticulture, Agriculture and Floriculture, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi said no contractual and ad hoc appointments were made in the department during the past three years.
Murtaza Khan of PDP, however, intervened and said it was a serious issue and claimed that the government has made appointments in the department.
Amid uproar, there was verbal duel between the Minister and PDP members Khan and Mohmmad Ashraf Mir, as members termed the answer as, wrong. Mir also alleged that the engagements were made through back door.

It was then that the Minister for PHE and irrigation Sham Lal Sharma intervened and said that there were separate set of rules for appointing contractual and ad hoc labourers and that of casual/seasonal and need based labourers.
Casual/seasonal and need based labourers have been engaged, but not contractual and ad hoc ones, he said.
Engagement of 311 casual/seasonal and need based labourers have been made in the department of gardens and parks during past three years, he added.