SRINAGAR: The noisy scenes were witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday after opposition BJP members countered the Omar Abdullah government’s decision to provide six free LPG cylinders to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families instead of the 12 cylinders promised by the ruling National Conference (NC).
While the house was in session, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Satish Sharma informed the members that six free gas cylinders for AAY families has got approval from the competent authority.
"The necessary order for rolling out the scheme are being issued shortly," he said.
The announcement was welcomed by members of ruling NC but BJP legislators rose from their seats and challenged the government.
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma said NC had promised 12 free LPG cylinders to AAY families but had now announced only six.
"This government has been exposed," he said, alleging that the ruling party had repeatedly made wrong promises to the people.
Sharma said the NC government has betrayed on the name of free gas cylinders, power, ration and people will never forgive you.
The BJP members chanted slogans "6 cylinders kahan gaye” and “Cylinder chor hai haai."
The LoP claimed these six free cylinders will also not be provided to people. "This is a fraud with the J&K people. When will you give these six cylinders? Where have the last 24 cylinders gone?"
Sharma further sought answers from the government over its promise of providing one lakh jobs and questioned what had happened to an earlier commitment to provide 200 units of free electricity to AAY families.
The BJP members continued their protest while NC legislators countered them by resorting to sloganeering, leading to uproar in the House.
The exchange between the treasury and opposition members disrupted proceedings for some time.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather repeatedly appealed to the protesting legislators to maintain order and allow the proceedings to continue.
Normalcy was restored in the House only after repeated interventions and appeals by the Speaker.