Mehbooba Record Blank on PDP's Pet Issues in Parliament

Mehbooba Mufti, has been totally silent in the LS on issues such as, return of NHPC-run power projects and resumption of talks with separatists.
Mehbooba Record Blank on PDP's Pet Issues in Parliament

SRI NAGAR: PDP chief and MP Mehbooba Mufti, who is playing a hard game with BJP on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, has been totally silent in the Lok Sabha so far on issues important to her party such as, return of NHPC-run power projects to the state and  resumption of talks with separatists.

Mehbooba, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Pulwama-Anantnag constituency for the second time in 2014, has so far asked 23 starred and unstarred questions during the current term.

She has 38 per cent attendance in Parliament. Her attendance in the 2016 Budget session 2016 has been 22 per cent, 2015 Winter session was 55 per cent, 2015 Monsoon session was 24 per cent and  2015 Budget Session 40 per cent. As per the data available, the 56-year-old has asked questions on reservation of seats, development of agriculture, GSPL gas pipeline project, Hajj quota, special package to states, FDI in Agriculture, development of smart cities, withdrawal of security forces from J&K, investment in J&K, lease of Kashmir House, CBI cases in J&K, firing ranges and  hydro-electric projects in J&K, among others. The PDP chief, whose special interests include yoga, has not asked any question regarding the revocation of AFSPA from the state, resumption of talks with separatists and New Delhi or return of some NHPC-run power projects to J&K.

On July 24, 2014, Mehhbooba sought information from the Power Minister on whether the J&K Government had made a formal request to the Centre for return of hydel projects that had outearned their investment or for re-negotiation of terms and conditions with the NHPC. She was told that the Ministry had not received any such proposal from the then state government.

These three issues are now bottlenecks in the formation of a government in J&K as Mehbooba has sought assurances from the Centre and the BJP before the PDP can take its alliance with the saffron party forward. The PDP chief, who is also member of two Parliament committees on IT and Empowerment of Women, has participated in 10 debates in the Lok Sabha and none on the issues on which she is seeking assurances from the Centre.

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