The Treasury Bench cut a sorry figure again on Thursday and this time, thanks to the lack of readiness on the part of the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) quota ministers to face the House squarely. Besides, the sulky Congress legislators, kept out of the ministry because of the steady equations between the CM and the ally-PDF, chipped in to mock at ‘undying bonhomie’. They were heard saying that the PDF MlAs hitherto deemed as precious gems were now proving liabilities. When things seemingly hit a dead-end for the Government, Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh intervened to boost the flagging morale of the faltering ministers.
MlA Ganesh Joshi, who has recently gained national and international fame for the wrong reason, asked education minister Mantri Prasad Naithani a question during Question Hour. In reply, Nathani said that Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) had recruited 2442 assistant teachers/ lectures against 3415 vacant posts and 3684 visiting lecturers against 4969 vacant posts. In primary education, 1200 assistant teachers were being recruited for subjects, including Urdu, he said.
However, at this juncture, he courted ridicule as he said his department had issued notification for the recruitment of 1200 teachers on March 4, 2016 while the last date of submission of application was March 5, 2016. Joshi tore into him, asking whether it was possible for the applicants to fill form in one day after publication of notification.
Naithani continued, saying that they had published advertisement for 653 posts on February 17, 2016 and later published advertisement of 1200 posts on March 4, 2016. Uproar rocked the House with the Opposition alleging that the minister was trying to misguide the House.
Naithani being also the minister in charge of drinking water, he was caught unprepared as MlA Surendra Singh Jeena threw him a question. Jeena asked about the projects sanctioned in Ranikhet of Almora district since 2002. Naithani replied that 134 projects worth Rs 61.43 crore had been sanctioned. He also gave six -page micro details of the projects. In 2010-11, for Barkinda Manila projects of Salt Assembly constituency, the government had spent Rs 10.7255 crore and things had been completed in 36 months in 2013-14, he claimed.
Naithani invited banter again as he said that the execution of Barkinda Manila projects, started in October 2010 and supposed to be completed by October 2013, was still in progress.
Hridayesh intervened, saying that the project, though being completed long back, was damaged during the disaster 2013. However, the MlAs said things were not squaring up. They said as per the minister, the project was completed in October 2013 while the disaster had come in June 2013.
Similarly, tourism minister Dinesh Dhanai who had been made a cabinet minister after Amrita Rawat had been made to exit following her husband and then Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj switching to BJP from Congress during the general election-2014, came in before the query attack of the same Amrita. Amrita Rawat enquired about the projects sanctioned under ADB. Dhanai said that he would send the answer to the member personally. later, Chief Minister supported him in a bid to restore him from further queries.