SRINAGAR, Sep 22: The ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has drawn criticism from All Party Sikh Coordination Committee Chairman and senior political leader Jagmohan Singh Raina, who has questioned whether the House is devoting sufficient attention to issues directly affecting the public.
Raina said legislators are elected with the expectation that they will raise the concerns of their constituencies, debate them in the Assembly and pursue concrete solutions. He expressed concern that political confrontations and Jammu-versus-Kashmir rhetoric were receiving considerable attention during the proceedings.
The Assembly recently witnessed heated exchanges over the cancellation of the December 5 holiday commemorating the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, founder of the National Conference. Questions were also raised regarding the continuation of the holiday marking the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, with some members demanding its cancellation.
Reacting to the developments, Raina questioned why the Assembly was witnessing political confrontation over such matters when several public issues require sustained legislative attention. He said debates surrounding Article 370 and Article 35A should not overshadow issues affecting the day-to-day lives of citizens.
According to Raina, unemployment, vacant government posts, shortages of doctors and paramedical staff in the health sector, and vacancies in educational institutions should receive greater attention in the House.
He alleged that thousands of posts remain vacant across various departments and questioned whether the government has a long-term strategy to address unemployment and staffing shortages, particularly in healthcare and education.
Raina urged every MLA to use the Assembly platform to highlight problems faced by people in their respective constituencies and seek practical solutions through legislation, policy discussions and government action.
He also referred to the functioning of earlier Assemblies, saying that, in his view, legislators previously maintained greater decorum and devoted more attention to government programmes, policies and public welfare.
Raina further alleged that during the past two years, both the government and opposition had not demonstrated adequate focus on programmes aimed at addressing people’s day-to-day concerns.
He questioned the purpose of electing legislators if issues affecting ordinary citizens are not adequately debated and followed up in the Assembly. He called for greater attention to employment, healthcare, education and other public welfare concerns during the ongoing session.