Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday expressed hope for the early restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, saying it would grant more powers to the elected government and enable it to fulfil the promises made to the people during last year’s assembly elections.
Talking to the media in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, Abdullah said he had expected the Centre to fulfill the promise of statehood restoration made to the people of the Union territory from the floor of Parliament and the Supreme Court, but since that has not happened, he would continue pressing for it.
“We are hoping for more powers and that is why we are stressing on the (restoration of) statehood, because that is a promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and that promise should be fulfilled,” Abdullah told the media.
“Only the Centre and the BJP can state the reasons for keeping Jammu and Kashmir without statehood. But, we will not stop trying (to make efforts),” he added.
Asked about PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s reported conditions that the government support her party MLA’s private member bills in exchange for backing the ruling party in the Rajya Sabha polls, Abdullah said it is the Speaker who decides which bill can be brought up in the assembly and which not.
“My government will not become a hurdle in the way of any such bill that benefits the people. But neither I nor any other member of the assembly can dictate to the Speaker which bill to bring and which not. There is a procedure to bring a bill. Whichever bill is good, we will surely support those,” he said.
Abdullah said one of his party colleagues has also come up with a bill on the issue of land grant, and he does not know whether that would also come up in the House or not.
“My colleague Tanvir Sadiq has brought a bill to rectify the Land Grants Act, which was amended in 2021. I do not know whether Sadiq’s bill will come up in the House or not, and similarly, there is a procedure for the PDP bill as well. But, if it is brought up, then my government will not be a hurdle,” the chief minister said.
On the revival of the bi-annual practice of Darbar Move — the shifting of offices between winter capital Jammu and summer capital Srinagar — the chief minister said the promise made to the people has been fulfilled.
“Reviving the Darbar Move was a promise to the people. When the cabinet met about three weeks back, the decision was taken, and it was sent to the LG. When the LG signed the file, we issued the order. It is after 2021 that Jammu and Srinagar are being linked through the Darbar Move again,” he said.
The chief minister asserted that his government would do whatever is possible to fulfill the promises made to the people within the Union Territory set-up.
“I have been saying since the first day that even under the UT, we will fulfill as many promises made to our people as we can,” he said.
Referring to another promise of streamlining the reservation system, Abdullah said a Cabinet sub-committee — tasked to examine the issue of reservation — has submitted its report, which has been accepted by the Cabinet.
“Now, the department will prepare a Cabinet memo, which will be approved by circulation and then sent to the LG. That was one of our promises with the people,” he added.
To a question whether anything can be expected from the upcoming session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for compensating the losses to the fruit industry, Abdullah said discussions were on with the Centre for a special package for the affected.
There is no need for the assembly session for that. Wherever the crops have suffered losses, be it horticulture or agriculture, an assessment has been done and discussions are on with the Centre for giving a special package similar to other states to provide compensation to the affected people, he said.
To a question about revoking FIRs against people for violations during the Covid pandemic, the chief minister said police and law and order were not with this government yet.
“When we get those powers, then surely we will fulfill the other promises as well,” he added.
