Jammu, Mar 13: Minister for School Education, Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare Department and Higher Education, Sakina Itoo Thursday said that Chief Minister Omar had constituted a cabinet subcommittee to look into the issue pertaining to rationalisation of reservation.
While refuting the charges of opposition MLAs, she said that there was no question of discrimination against the Jammu region or favouring the Kashmir region in the allocation of funds under any sector, including education and health.
She was replying to the debate on demands for grants for four departments under her charge – School Education, Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare Department, and Higher Education, in the Legislative Assembly.
“This is not our role to discriminate against any region. Even in the past, our government, whether headed by Farooq Abdullah or Omar Abdullah, has never discriminated against any region,” she said. “I want to assure the House that Jammu’s due share will be allocated to it and similarly Kashmir will get its right. We will neither snatch anyone’s right nor favour anyone (any region). There is no question on this account.”
Responding to the charges levelled by BJP MLA Pawan Gupta that Kashmir was allocated more funds than Jammu in these crucial sectors, Itoo said, “The statistics quoted by you (Pawan) were based on the funding requisition by hospitals or other sectors. Funds have been allocated as per requisitions. Going by those requisitions, maximum funds have been expended in Jammu and there is nothing wrong in that.”
With regard to Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Lone’s issue regarding rationalisation in the reservation, she reiterated that the CM had already constituted a cabinet subcommittee to look into it.
“This is a very sensitive issue and it is not an easy proposition to resolve it. Every aspect will have to be examined and all stakeholders will have to be consulted and taken on board. Their representation has already reached us. It is being examined. Once the committee prepares and finalises its report on this account. Sajad Sahib too will be informed,” she said.
Later the House unanimously passed grants for all these four departments, totalling over Rs 27,526.28 crore, including Rs 12,014.89 crore for the School Education Department; Rs 8813.70 crore for the Health and Medical Education Department; Rs 4504.28 crore for the Social Welfare Department, and Rs 2193.40 crore for the Higher Education Department, through a voice vote, after the members withdrew their cut motions.
In her over-long reply, the minister enumerated the achievements of all these departments.
