Srinagar: National Conference Member of Parliament from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi termed the National Capital territory of Delhi Amendment bill 2021 a strike on Country’s federal structure saying the bill significantly expands the powers of LG at the cost of elected Legislature.
While speaking in the Lok Sabha, Party MP Masoodi opposed the NCT Delhi Amendment bill 2021, terming it anti federal. He said the bill is in contravention with the country’s federal structure.
The measure he said is being taken to hide the electoral failures of BJP. “The bill significantly cuts the powers of the elected legislature to the extent that the center’s nominated LG can withhold the consent of any bill which he deems outside the purview of the assembly as per the new scheme of things. Here the question arises who will decide what is outside the purview of the Assembly,” he said adding that the bill is not being taken in good faith as the elected legislature has been rendered powerless by the ruling BJP.
Saying that BJP is bringing the electoral battle to the parliament by centralizing all powers in LG, Masoodi said that what is the fun of having toothless assembly in the UT if it is not able to exercise its basic power of law making. He said the NC is against the bill on account of the bill’s being inconsistent with the constitution. The Apex Court in its various historical judgments held the federal structure of the country as the basic theme of the constitution of India. He stated that NC is opposing the bill on account of its constitutional ineptness, and incongruity.
Masoodi said J&K was also confronted with the similar situation on August 5, 2019, when the constitutional propriety was sidelined and the state was bifurcated and downgraded citing the article’s 370 ‘temporary nature’. The proposition he said was wrong because the article provided for a constitutional assembly and an independent constitution. He said that if Art 370 was temporary then 371-A to371- J provisions of the part B of Constitution of the constitution are also erroneous.
Taking Part in a separate debate in Lok Sabha, Masoodi raised the predicaments of the need based, contractual workers who are awaiting regularization for ten years now. He said the workers are being subjected to discrimination on different accounts. “The issue concerns thousands of families indirectly. The number of such workers is 80,000 out of which 30,000 were engaged by the BJP government only. The entire lot has been hitting streets from time to time to have issues concerning them addressed. The indifference of the government has pushed the entire lot to the wall. The families have set their eyes on the government for the rapid redressal of their issues falling which they would continue to suffer,” he said demanding speedy regularization of such contractual, need based and daily rated workers.
He also sought one time exemption for 15,000 medical assistants who are enrolled in various departments and have been rendered ineligible after the government amended Pharmacist Act last year. He said the said medical assistants should be allowed to register themselves as pharmacists and regularized fore with.
