Turning MLAs into Useless Dummies

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was restored after six years of suspended democracy. For NC legislators, that return was meant to be a vindication – proof that their mandate mattered. Yet less than a year into Omar Abdullah’s tenure as Chief Minister, a strange realization is setting in: winning an election does not mean exercising power.

NC MLAs, once euphoric, now feel useless in their own government. Decisions are centralized at the top, committees swallow issues whole, funds are rationed by the Secretariat, and even ministers confess they are passengers.

Advisors With Power, MLAs Without

The most glaring example is the rise of the Advisor Raj. Omar Abdullah appointed Nasir Aslam Wani (Sogami) as his Advisor, despite his electoral defeat. In practice, Sogami now sits on sensitive files, issues directions on transfers, and is treated as a minister without oath.

For NC’s rank-and-file MLAs, the symbolism is brutal: a man rejected at the ballot enjoys more power than them. It is a visible inversion of democracy, one that undermines legislators who actually earned their seats.

The Committee Burial Ground

During the election campaign, Omar spoke repeatedly about revisiting job policies, about unfair reservation formulas, about making government responsive. Once in office, these promises were shifted into “high-level committees.”

Assembly records show dozens of starred questions unanswered or disposed of vaguely. Opposition leaders and independent media have flagged how committees have become parking lots for uncomfortable demands. For MLAs, this means they cannot return to their constituencies with concrete outcomes – only with excuses that “a committee is looking into it.”

When lawmaking is reduced to waiting for reports, legislators are left redundant in their own House.

Funds Out of Reach

Development planning has also moved away from elected hands. Reports from districts like Budgam and Anantnag note how capex allocations are drafted centrally. MLAs who call constituency review meetings often find senior officers skipping attendance or stonewalling. Civil servants admit, off the record, that “real approvals come from the Secretariat.”

This strips MLAs of the most basic political function: deciding local priorities. A legislator’s job is not to cut ribbons; it is to determine what gets built and when. Yet NC MLAs today are doing the first and begging for the second.

Ministers Without Ministries

Even cabinet ministers complain, quietly, that their writ does not run far. The Finance, Home, and General Administration Departments remain with the Chief Minister. These are the levers of postings, transfers, and funding – the real instruments of statecraft. Line ministers, meanwhile, cannot even push through their own transfer lists without clearance from above.

The result is predictable: ministries look ceremonial, and ministers look ornamental. If the cabinet feels powerless, back-bench MLAs have even less chance.

What each MLA actually did (last ~12 months)

Stop the Ribbons. Here’s What You Should Have Fixed.

Khanyar (Ali Mohammad Sagar)  –  Old City’s chronic wounds

The critique: A few hospital upgrades and culvert inaugurations don’t touch Khanyar’s systemic rot. Downtown still drowns after heavy rain; heritage lanes burn from preventable fires; lakes and link-drains remain silted; pedestrians have zero priority.

What should have been done (last 12 months):

1. Flood & filth control: Monthly desilting of Nallah Amir Khan and feeder drains; floating trash barriers; ward-wise storm-grate cleaning schedule published online.
2. Brari Nambal revival: Time-bound encroachment removal on inlets/outlets; aeration fountains; lakefront pedestrian loop with bollards to keep vehicles out.
3. Fire safety for Shaher-e-Khaas: Door-to-door electrical audits for old timber houses; hydrant map every 150–200m; night-patrol with handheld thermal cams in peak winter.
4. Pedestrian first: Weekend pedestrianization pilots on heritage streets (Khanyar–Zaina Kadal belt); vendors rehoused into organized bazaars; camera-enforced no-parking.
5. Health outcomes, not equipment: Fill sanctioned posts at Govt Gousia; 24×7 emergency with triage metrics; monthly dashboard: ER wait times, bed occupancy, stock-outs.
6. Heritage maintenance fund: Micro-grants to residents for façade/roof repairs that meet fire-safe specifications; quarterly facade-improvement street by street.

Kulgam (Sakina Itoo)  –  Water, roads, and real services

The critique: Inaugurating a science block and a water main is optics. Kulgam’s recurring distress is Veshaw/Rambiara flood behaviour, patchy potable water, understaffed health facilities, and broken rural roads.

What should have been done:

1. River discipline: Pre-monsoon dredging/embankment repair for Veshaw & Rambiara; GPS-tagged works; floodplain encroachment inventory and action calendar.
2. Potable water reliability: 100% source chlorination; weekly residual chlorine/coliform testing ward-wise, published publicly; pipeline leak audit zones.
3. Rural road connectivity: PMGSY backlog tracker – kilometres tendered vs. completed; black-spot elimination near schools/markets; grievance hotline with 7-day fix SLA.
4. Staffing the buildings: SDH DH Pora & PHCs: fill sanctioned doctor/nurse posts; night duty rosters enforced; monthly OPD/IPD/ANC targets.
5. Orchard economy cushion: Two mini cold-storage/hubbing sites (public-private) with transparent tariff; insurance enrolment drives before harvest.
6. Schools that run: Teacher rationalization (surplus to deficit schools); functional labs with inventory; school-level scorecards shared with SMCs.

Banihal (Sajjad Shaheen)  –  Highway town, highway problems

The critique: Macadamization photo-ops miss the point. Banihal’s life is dictated by NH-44 closures, landslides, crashes, and zero driver amenities.

What should have been done:

1. Highway safety plan: Mark and fix top 10 crash black-spots; rumble strips, guard rails, reflectors; trauma-care tie-up at nearest facility with 24×7 ambulance.
2. Slope & debris management: Coordinated pre-monsoon scaling and catch-fencing at known slide zones; community siren/alert protocol.
3. Driver dignity: Way-side amenities (toilets, water, rest sheds) at two choke points; wrecker/cranage on call; winter tyre-chain bays.
4. Town decongestion: Redesign bus stand; last-mile to Railway Station; timed freight windows to keep main bazaar moving.
5. Macadamization transparency: Public list of roads with start–finish dates, thickness specs, and contractor names; citizen testing days for core samples.
6. Youth employment: Skill centre aligned to railway/highway maintenance, logistics, hospitality; guaranteed interviews via MoUs.

Zadibal (Tanvir Sadiq)  –  Urban reform must land on the ground

The critique: Policy talk (urban commissions, conclaves) is fine; Zadibal needs drainage, sewage, lake-edge sanitation, parking discipline, and drug-use response now.

What should have been done:

1. Drainage & sewage: Map and clear the Eidgah–Nallah Amir Khan system; connect outfalls to nearest STP; grease traps for markets; ban grey-water into lanes.
2. Lake-edge clean-up (Khushalsar/Gilsar catchment): Weekly skimmer runs; septic-tank evacuation schedule; penalties for repeat dumpers; community lake wardens.
3. Parking & walkability: Camera-ticketing on chronic violators; create 2 pocket parking sites by repurposing derelict plots; zebra crossings near schools/masjids.
4. Solid waste separation: Ward-level dry/wet segregation; doorstep collection at fixed times with audible cues; monthly “no-dump lane” awards.
5. Public health micro-clinics: Two ward clinics with OPD mornings, NCD (BP/diabetes) afternoons; pharmacy stock dashboards.
6. Drug-use response: Evening outreach with counsellors; safe-spaces; link to district de-addiction with referral targets and follow-ups.

Mendhar (Javed Ahmed Rana)  –  Border constituency basics

The critique: Big speeches don’t fix water, roads, shelling safety, power reliability, and farm services in Mendhar’s scattered hamlets.

What should have been done:

1. Safe water first: Chlorination at all sources; hand-pump rehab; village test results pinned at panchayat ghars; tanker plan for lean months.
2. Last-mile roads: PMGSY completion drive with fortnightly on-site progress meets; footbridges for cut-off hamlets; school approach paths paved.
3. Border safety: Completion and maintenance of individual & community bunkers; SMS alert tree; stocked first-aid kits at schools.
4. Power reliability: Feeder-wise outage log; DTs augmented before winter; prepaid meter grievance cell with 72-hour redress cap.
5. Irrigation & livestock: Micro-irrigation sets for smallholders; mobile vet clinics; vaccination camps; fodder banks for winter.
6. Youth & finance: Sports grounds levelled and lit; bank/CSC camps for PM-Svanidhi/Mudra; quarterly job fair with actual recruiters.

Cross-cutting “Backlog Bust” every MLA should run (and publish)

• 90-Day Drain & Pothole Sprint: 100% ward coverage; before/after photos; weekly map updates.
• Teacher & Doctor Vacancy Drive: Fill posts where buildings exist; publish sanction vs. filled numbers.
• Encroachment on Waterways: Start with top 10 choke points; bulldozer calendar shared in advance; rehabilitation where eligible.
• Citizen Dashboards: Project list, stage, contractor, next milestone, phone of responsible engineer; updated weekly.
• Time-bound Grievances: One WhatsApp/inbound number per constituency; 7-day SLA for civic issues; escalate to DC on Day 8.
• Quarterly Social Audit Day: MLA + DC + line departments in an open hall; action minutes issued on the spot.

NC’s Favorite Showpiece

NC has also tried to project Sakina Itoo (Yatoo) as the capable female face of the party. She is experienced and vocal, and her prominence helps Omar showcase inclusivity. Yet, on the ground, Kulgam’s problems remain unchanged: roads cratered, schools understaffed, jobs stagnant.

This is not a reflection of Sakina’s ability; it is a reflection of the system. Even the most highlighted MLA is unable to drive visible transformation. If the “poster” legislator is reduced to optics, what does that mean for the rest?

Public Optics, Private Frustration

The contrast could not be sharper. Omar Abdullah and his tight circle dominate press conferences, photo-ops, and policy announcements. MLAs are summoned to functions, placed in the background for applause, and then forgotten when decisions are taken.

Several legislators have quietly voiced frustration. One even admitted he had managed just seconds of conversation with the Chief Minister in an entire year. Another pointed out that his constituency project was cleared only after an Advisor, not he himself, recommended it.

For voters, the message is clear: their MLA is not the bridge to government – he is a postman of grievances.

Why It Matters

This hollowing out is not just an internal NC problem. It has broader consequences. When MLAs feel useless, they stop fighting for their constituencies. When officers realise MLAs are powerless, they stop attending their reviews. When voters discover their MLA cannot deliver, they lose faith in both representative democracy and in the Assembly as an institution.

The Assembly was revived with the promise of voice. If that voice is muzzled by centralization, it will lose credibility faster than it was restored.

The Bitter Truth

Omar Abdullah runs a government with all levers concentrated in his office. Advisors hold more sway than legislators. Committees bury the tough questions. Funds are rationed through bureaucrats. Ministries are stripped of core powers. And MLAs, who sweated for votes, are left explaining why nothing moves.

This is how a majority becomes meaningless. NC MLAs today are redundant in power, useless in office. They are trapped in a system that values their presence in photographs, not their voice in governance.

The danger for Omar is not immediate dissent. It is long-term erosion. Legislators who feel humiliated in power rarely defend the system in the next election. Voters who feel their MLA is a ribbon-cutter, not a decision-maker, eventually punish the ballot.

The Assembly may look alive again, but if its members remain redundant, it will turn into theatre without substance. And the cruelest irony of all is this: NC’s MLAs fought for statehood, for relevance, for a return to democracy – only to discover they are useless in their own government.