Owais Gul
Srinagar, Oct 15: The pressure to deliver on the promises has been mounting for the ruling regime in Jammu and Kashmir as the National Conference (NC) government completed one year in office on Wednesday, while all the promises from one lakh jobs to free units of electricity and 12 gas cylinders remain unfulfilled.
On October 16, 2024, the first government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, led by Omar Abdullah, assumed office here after the NC-Congress alliance secured an absolute majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, winning 48 seats. NC carried the alliance to victory by winning 42 seats, while Congress could win only six seats.
The mood across Jammu and Kashmir is a mix of cautious hope and growing impatience.
Riding a wave of optimism, the NC swept to power last year, pledging 12 flagship promises made on the party’s manifesto ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections.
Yet, as the government marks its first anniversary, many of those promises remain in the realm of rhetoric.
The ruling regime after taking over has kept its promise so far only on passing the resolution on statehood restoration in the first Assembly Session while the other pledges like free 200 units of electricity, 12 gas cylinders to economically weaker sections, Rs 5,000 per month to women belonging to EWS, establishing a medical trust to fight against serious diseases like cancer, reinstating free education up to the university level have remained unfulfilled.
The NC had also promised a comprehensive job package for youth, and redrawing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019 have also been oversighted so far.
For many, the past 12 months have felt more like a year of waiting than one of transformation.
One of the key planks of NC was tackling unemployment, promising a comprehensive job package for the youth. However, the unemployment rate, instead of witnessing a decline, has increased further as no major recruitment has taken place in the year, and the policy is nowhere in sight.
“We have been promised employment. But a year has elapsed; it seems nothing is going to happen for the educated youth with no measures in sight over the promised job policy,” Aijaz Ahmad, one of the unemployed youth, said.
Looking ahead
As the Omar Abdullah government enters its second year, the pressure to deliver is mounting.
With the government continuing to make promises over delivering their pledges mentioned in the manifesto, the road ahead is far from easy.
The Chief Minister has repeatedly mentioned that they have been given a five-year time to deliver on the promises, insisting that systemic change cannot happen overnight.
But for the people, time is a luxury and a year without making any positive change on the ground, over-delivering on the promises has made them quite disappointed.
Opposition reacts
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary and J&K in-charge, Tarun Chugh, slammed CM Abdullah, saying that despite completing one year in office, his government has “failed” to fulfil even a single promise made to the people.
Chugh said the people of Jammu and Kashmir demand accountability from the government, as none of the commitments made during the elections have been honoured.
Accusing the NC government of “not fulfilling” its pre-poll promises, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, a few days ago, drew parallels with the then Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, saying the latter focused on developmental works despite governing in a Union Territory.
“It has been one year since the government has been in power here, but they haven’t done enough despite promising jobs, free power supply and other incentives. Kejriwal gave free electricity to people, while over here, consumers are being charged heavily. There are even talks of water charges now,” Mehbooba said.
Taking a dig at the NC government, Apni Party president and former minister, Syed Altaf Bukhari, said the party has failed to deliver on its promises.
“The people have lost faith as NC has failed to fulfil its commitments. There is no visible development, no electricity waiver, no social welfare schemes, no free 200 units of power, no release of jailed youth, and rising unemployment,” he said.
