Srinagar, Oct 28: A heated argument erupted in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday after BJP MLA from Doda West, Shakti Parihar, alleged regional discrimination in transfers within the education department, sparking uproar between treasury and opposition benches.
Parihar claimed that while transfers in the education department had been effected in the Kashmir region, Jammu had been “ignored”, prompting strong reactions from the government side.
Responding to the allegations, Education Minister Sakina Ittoo countered that the BJP was “habitual of crying discrimination” and asserted that there was no bias in the process.
She highlighted that, contrary to the BJP’s claims, 350 appointments had been made in the Kashmir valley while 860 were made in the Jammu region.
Clarifying further, Ittoo said that the Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) were in process and would be completed in due course. She added that transfers had begun from Poonch and Rajouri districts but were kept in abeyance following objections.
The minister also pointed out that there was a blanket ban on recruitment, with 1,500 posts frozen earlier. “The education department was on the verge of being defunct. I am thankful to the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, for de-freezing 50 per cent of the posts,” she said.
Targeting the BJP, Ittoo remarked, “They should tell us where they have brought the education department.” The commotion eventually subsided, and the House resumed normal proceedings.
The debate comes at a time when the education department is under pressure to address staff shortages and streamline transfers across districts.
Officials said that around 12,000 vacancies exist across various categories in government schools, particularly in rural Jammu. The issue has been a recurring flashpoint in the Assembly, with legislators from both regions often accusing successive governments of regional favoritism.
The Education Department, meanwhile, has maintained that a uniform policy is being followed to ensure equitable staff distribution across Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Government tody said all drug de-addiction centres were fully functional across the Union territory and concrete steps are being taken to curb the menace.
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, made these remarks while replying to a question of legislator Surjeet Singh Salathia in the legislative assembly.
Itoo said all drug de-addiction centres are fully functional in J&K and have also been directed for fee regulation for affordable rehabilitation of victims.
The minister highlighted that the health and education departments along with law enforcement agencies are playing an active role to fight the menace of drug abuse in society.
She added that strict instructions have been issued to head of all educational institutions (colleges and schools) to install CCTVs in and around their campuses to check any kind of irregular activities.
Itoo also lauded the role of NGOs in dealing with this alarming situation across J&K, saying that their support is must for combating this social evil.
She said the government is taking concrete steps to curb the menace in the UT including awareness lectures and educational activities, establishment of de-addiction centres, outreach programmes in educational institutions and communities, panchayat-level awareness activities, door-to-door survey and identification as well as camps in hotspot areas.
The minister further said these camps are led by psychiatrists and counsellors to provide both preventive education and initial treatment support.
Commenting on the issue, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather advised the minister to take suggestions from a scientific document prepared by political representatives of a party, as it outlines effective and detailed measures for combating this social evil.
The minister informed the House that the government has already started working on this report, besides the topics related to drug addiction have already been made part of the curriculum.
