Speaker slaps privilege notice on AIG Provisions

High flying Aftab Kakroo doesn’t respond to Legislature

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Mar 28: In an extraordinary cognizance of the disobedience of a senior Police official, posted at J&K Police Headquarters, Speaker of Legislative Assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone today slapped a privilege notice on AIG Provisions, Aftab Ahmed Kakroo. The official holding the rank of a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) has been charged with contempt of the House on account of his selective treatment to legislators and failure to respond to telephonic calls from MLAs and Presiding Officer of the House.

Informed sources revealed to Early Times that a number of MLAs had complained to Speaker that officials posted at J&K Police headquarters had been providing brand new cars and other privileges to only the legislators of their personal choice while those refusing to keep the officials in good humour were getting a shabby treatment. They had been repeatedly complaining that brand new bulletproof cars and double escort had been provided to certain legislators while as many others had been suffering badly as they had been provided with just one-odd dilapidated Gypsy.

Speaker’s assurances to redress the grievances of the legislators were implemented in breach, even after he spoke personally to Principal Secretary of Home and Director General of Police.

In November last year, Speaker’s own bulletproof car in Srinagar cracked its windscreen. He was assured by DGP that his car would be replaced with a brand new BP car “very soon”. After a great deal of persuasion, DGP personally directed AIG Provisions Aftab Kakroo to provide a freshly acquired BP car to the Speaker.

Even as Police Headquarters acquired a number of vehicles, Speaker’s damaged car was never replaced. Speaker yet again raised the matter with DGP who again repeated his assurance and reminded AIG Provisions to arrange a fresh BP car for the Presiding Officer of Legislative Assembly. Speaker was finally assured that his requisition would be fulfilled on March 22. However, that was not to be.

On March 22, 23 and 24 Assembly Secretariat made repeated attempts to get in touch with AIG Provisions. Messages were communicated to him also through other modes. Still, there was no response from Mr Kakroo.

Finally, Speaker himself dialed the AIG’s number quite a number of times. Still he did not bother either to pick up the call or to respond to the Speaker subsequently.

In the afternoon today, Speaker took extraordinary cognizance of the AIG’s disobedience and slapped a notice of breach of privilege on him through Secretary Assembly, Mohammad Ramzan. Within minutes, some officials from Police Headquarters called on Speaker with the defence that AIG had failed to respond as his mother was admitted in a hospital. Speaker asked the officials to return and submit a documentary evidence of the fact in case the accused official’s mother was really under treatment at a hospital. They were directed to submit a certificate from the hospital before 1700 hours today. Meanwhile, Speaker directed Assembly Secretariat to check veracity of the Police officials’ statement

However, till late this evening, the Police officials failed to submit any evidence of the AIG’s mother being under treatment in any hospital. Meanwhile, a number of MLAs requested Speaker to find how the same official had managed his posting of AIG Provision at Police Headquarters for over 16 years with a break of just two years. They also desired to know how over 300 BP cars, non-BP cars and Gypsies had been provided to influential persons without any threat perception certificate and security categorization from CID Headquarters. They complained that petrol and diesel worth Crores of rupees was being issued to these vehicles, though over a hundred of these were never in operation.

They complained that certain officials, who have remained posted at Police Headquarters continuously for 10 to 25 years, had developed intimate relations with senior Police officials and their families and with the advantage of that confidence they had been treating the institution of Legislature with brazen contempt.

Speaker, Mohammad Akbar Lone, confirmed to Early Times that he had initiated privilege proceedings against the AIG Provisions on account of his contemptuous treatment to the Legislature and its members. He said that he would also initiate similar proceedings against the doctors and the hospital if any of them issued a certificate in favour of the accused without his mother being admitted or under treatment. He said that all Police officials were public servants and accountable to the public through the Legislature.

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