Fair price shop allocation row rocks assembly

Jammu: Fair price shops distribution row here on Wednesday rocked assembly as the issue of unfair distribution of fair price shops in different constituencies of the state raised by NC MLA from Uri Mohammad Shafi was linked to the allegation of former chief minister and leader of the opposition Omar Abdullah over allotment of fair price shops on political lines in Beerwah constituency of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The opposition member including Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Mian Altaf, Altaf Ahmad Wani, G M Saroori, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and several others went into the well of the house shouting slogans against the government.
Amid heated exchange of words, the NC MLA from Kangan Mian Altaf Ahmad and PDP MLA from Baramulla Javid Hussain Baig dragged the name of PDP MP and former deputy chief minister Muzafar Hussain Baig in the fair price shop allotment row. Javid Baig told NC’s Mian Altaf not to drag the name of Muzafar Baig in the row and dared him to be ready for probe into the allotments of fair price shops from last twenty years. Mian Altaf threatened to uncover the wrongs allegedly committed by Muzafar Hussain Baif as Deputy Chief Minister of the state.
The speaker pacified the members and asked the government to make a statement of clarification over the issue. Before the Parliamentary affairs Abdul Rahman Veeri stood up to make a statement of clarification over the issue, leader of the opposition and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah demanded immediate cancelation of the illegally allotted fair price shops and fresh process for allotments in a transparent manner.
As minister consumer affairs and public distribution Chowdhary Zulfkar was not allowed to making statement of clarification from the government, the opposition members didn’t allow him to speak and parliamentary affairs minister Abdul Rahman Veeri made a statement on behalf of the government. Veeri assured leader of the opposition and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah that illegally allotment of shops would be cancelled and a fresh process would be initiated in a transparent manner. It is in place to mention here that Omar Abdullah had alleged allotment of 50 shops to an ex-MLA and 20 shops to him in Beerwah constituency represented by him in the state assembly.