After Parvez Rasool’s inclusion in the Indian cricket team, another Kashmiri is set to hog the limelight at the national level. Abdul Rahim Rather, was on Monday, elected as Chairman of the Empowered Committee (EC) of State Finance Ministers.
This is the first time that the elected Chairman of the Committee belongs to an ally of ruling United Progressive Alliance at the Centre. Rather, a member of the central executive committee of the National Conference since 1980, was born at Badipora in Tehsil Chadoora in District Budgam.
A lawyer by profession, he was elected to the State Assembly for the first time in 1977. He is the first Member of Legislative Assembly, who has been elected from the same constituency (Chari Sharif in Jammu and Kashmir) six times in a row.
Rather first became the State Finance Minister in 1983 and has also held portfolios such as Agriculture, Rural Development, Panchayats, Cooperation, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Haj and Auqaf, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
After the National Conference came back in power in 2009, he was given charge of Finance and Ladakh Affairs. Rather was also leader of the opposition in the Assembly from July 2004 to July 2008
Challenges ahead
The soft-spoken Rather, a regular at the Empowered Committee meetings, has many challenges ahead. First, he will have to evolve a consensus on the Constitution Amendment Bill. Second, he will not just have to handle opposition from BJP-ruled States such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as also satisfy Congress-ruled States such as Haryana on the issue of purchase tax and Maharashtra on the issue of octroi.
However, the biggest challenge for Rather will be compensation to States.