Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah advised the leadership of Ladakh not to rely on the Centre’s verbal assurances regarding their struggle for constitutional safeguards with regard to land and jobs and also backed the Centre on Wednesday over a levy for UPI transactions, saying maintaining and operating the digital-payment infrastructure is not cheap, but cautioned the government to protect retail consumers.
Commenting on verbal commitments of the Centre, Abdullah said that Jammu and Kashmir has been a victim of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre’s verbal assurances.
“Ladakh has its own issues, our issues are separate. However, as a friend and a well-wisher, I can only advice the leadership of Ladakh not to rely on any verbal assurances from the central government unless they provide those in writing and officially signed,” Abdullah told reporters in Pulwama district where he was to review development projects.
“We ourselves have been victims of this. We too were given verbal assurances that statehood would be restored immediately after the (Assembly) election. Almost two years have passed since and that promise has not materialised.
“Therefore, with folded hands, my humble request to the leaders of Ladakh and Kargil is not to trust verbal commitments from the Centre until they receive something in writing, perhaps in the form of a formal affidavit,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister refused to react to Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma’s statement on the short duration of the Assembly.
“I will only respond to one statement per month from the leader of opposition. He makes statements daily and I do not have enough free time to reply to him on an everyday basis. I responded to one yesterday, the next response will come in October,” he said.
Meanwhile, the J&K CM backed the Centre on Wednesday over a levy for UPI transactions, saying maintaining and operating the digital-payment infrastructure is not cheap, but cautioned the government to protect retail consumers.
“This charge is not being levied on everyone. First of all, person-to-person money transfers carry no charge. Then, individual consumers will not be charged unless they cross a specific ceiling,” Abdullah told reporters here.
Asserting that maintaining and operating the UPI infrastructure is not cheap, the chief minister said it takes a substantial amount of money to run the payment system.
“The reality is also that when something is offered completely free, we often fail to value it properly. That said, the Government of India must ensure that ordinary citizens are spared from these fees. If companies are charged, then I have no objection, as companies profit substantially through UPI anyway,” he added.
Asked about concerns over drainage water flowing into water bodies, the chief minister said the issue did not just emerge over the last two years and is a legacy issue that cannot be solved overnight.
“However, work is underway. Projects are being drafted under various schemes — whether under the SASCI or other initiatives. Continuous efforts are being made not only to protect our water bodies but also to rejuvenate and expand those,” he said. (WITH PTI INPUTS)
