J&K ruling coalition shaky again, this time Cong says key PDP minister tripping us

According to the Congress, it was for the first time that they moved to pass the state budget in January, even before the Union Budget. The idea was to speed up development projects but Karra, as finance and planning minister, the party says, sat over plans for five months and district board meetings are being held only in June.

Karra, on his part, says “the delay is linked to the scheme of financing from the Central government which we received only in April.”

Hitting back at Azad, he said: “Then the boundaries of newly created districts were delayed till May 22 by the revenue ministry which is with the Chief Minister himself. Even then, everything is on time as per guidelines… There are many things which I resist because that is the call of my conscience.”

On why he skipped functions organised to host the CJI, Karra said: “I do not have a social temperament.”

He also angered the Congress when he objected to plans to bring in an ordinance to fix five-year terms for mayors instead of annual elections. “Everything has to be according to law. Such things don’t change on whims and fancies of a few. I returned the ordinance with queries but they didn’t raise it again,” Karra said.