- Actively considering cabinet expansion
- Never promised to do away with smart meters
- Budgam candidate announcement within 48 hours
- PSA to be removed only after statehood
Srinagar, Oct 18: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said linking the Pahalgam attack with statehood restoration is “an injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” He reiterated that the Public Safety Act (PSA) would be scrapped only after the restoration of statehood.
Addressing a press conference marking one year in office, Omar said the government will fulfil all manifesto promises within its five-year tenure. “There are hurdles, but every commitment made to people will be honoured,” he said. On Budgam by-poll, he said the National Conference (NC) will announce its candidate within 48 hours and the cabinet expansion will follow the by-elections.
Smart meters & electricity supply
On the controversy over smart meters, Omar clarified that the NC never promised to remove them. “We had promised 200 free units, which require smart meters for implementation,” he said. The CM added that installation has reduced bills for poorer consumers and improved supply. “We aim for better infrastructure, free units for the poor, and reliable power,” he said.
Statehood restoration
Omar said linking statehood restoration to the Pahalgam attack is “unfair and misleading.” “The elected government wasn’t responsible, and even those killed in the attack weren’t from J&K,” he said. “Parliament and the Supreme Court assured us — first delimitation, then elections, and finally statehood. Two promises are fulfilled; the third is pending,” he added.
Denying any possibility of alliance with the BJP, he said, “We suffered from the PDP-BJP alliance. We won’t repeat that mistake.”
Cabinet expansion and PSA
Omar said the limited number of ministers under UT status restricts representation. “But I’m actively considering adding a few more ministers post by-elections,” he said. On PSA, he said, “Once we regain statehood and have control over law and order, I’ll issue an ordinance to revoke the PSA.”
By-elections and alliances
The CM confirmed talks with Congress for the Nagrota seat. “We’ll support Congress if they wish to field a candidate. Our alliance aims to strengthen them in Jammu,” he said.
Legal issues and Advocate General
On the absence of an Advocate General, he said, “It’s unfortunate J&K has no AG attending court. We’re pressing for clarity on Business Rules passed in March.”
Fight for statehood and special status
Omar said the Assembly passed resolutions on statehood and special status that remain with the Centre. “They may form the base for future discussions,” he said.
Tourism & development
The CM said efforts are on to revive tourism post-Pahalgam attack. “Lakhs depend on tourism; we’ve sent teams within and outside India to attract visitors,” he said, criticising the closure of several destinations.
He added that any bill introduced in the Assembly “is the Speaker’s property,” assuring that the government won’t obstruct any legislation meant for public welfare.
Ladakh crisis ‘extremely unfortunate’: Omar
Urges Centre to fulfil promises of 6th Schedule, statehood
Srinagar, Oct 18: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday described the ongoing crisis in Ladakh as “extremely unfortunate”, saying the people of the region have been “pushed to the wall” due to the Centre’s failure to deliver on its promises.
Addressing a press conference here, Abdullah, as per the news agency, said the Union government had pledged Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh but has failed to honour that commitment.
“The people of Ladakh have been pushed to the wall. Promises have been made to them that have not been kept. Unfortunately, this seems to be a practice, particularly with the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Promises are made and then promises are broken,” he remarked.
Drawing parallels with Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said the same pattern of “broken promises” is visible. “You promised us statehood, but are not fulfilling it. Is the attempt now to push Jammu and Kashmir to the wall also? Is that what you’re saying — that they are not happy with the situation being peaceful here, or that our demands are being raised democratically and constitutionally?” he asked.
The Chief Minister said both J&K and Ladakh were assured special constitutional safeguards following the abrogation of Article 370, but those assurances remain unfulfilled. “All we want is for those promises to be kept,” he said—(KNO).
