Protest rock JK Assembly over PHC issue

A united opposition today grilled Jammu and Kashmir government over "discrimination" in the grant of Public Health Centres (PHCs) to the constituencies represented by opposition parties and demanded a probe.
Amid noisy scenes the Speaker adjourned the House for a brief period.
Replying to a question of PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat during Question Hour in the Assembly, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma, on behalf of Health Minister said that 32 Sub-Centres including 21 sanctioned and 11 unsanctioned are in Bandipur Constituency besides four PHCs.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, who posed question to the Minister about shortage of staff, equipment and other infrastructure also alleged discrimination in distribution of health centres in the state.

Bhat was joined by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and other PDP MLAs besides BJP, JKNPP and JSM members who raised the issue of discrimination in the distribution of health centres between constituencies of opposition MLAs and that of the ruling members and their ministers.
Amid protests and noisy scenes, they charged the previous Health Minister for granting more health centres to his constituency in total disregard of criteria and sought constitution of House Committee to probe it.

Speaker Mubarak Gul intervened and asked the members to observe calm as the minister was replying to their concern.
Speaking on the issue, Sharma said that distribution of health centres has been done in a scientific manner after conducting remote sensing of the entire constituencies and a report was formulated in this regard.

"House Committee is already there and I will announce my decision over the issue," the Speaker said.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes.
Leader of the Opposition Mehbooba Mufti told reporters, "Since this government came to power, they have been resorting to illegal sharing of all central aided projects whether it is a matter of colleges, schools, medical centres, new administrative units or appointments".
"As central government has awarded us a package of 600 health centres-- we wanted to know what criteria was adopted in the distribution of these sub-centres," she said claiming they have granted over 20 sub-centres in the constituencies of ruling members and ministers while as in the opposition constituencies they have granted only four.

This is biggest discrimination as they have adopted no criteria for grant of these sub-centres, she alleged.
Speaking over the issue, Jugal Kishore Sharma of BJP also alleged discrimination with constituencies of Jammu region in the grant of sub-centres and demanded a probe into it.