Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Feb 17: Emphasising that sustained engagement with the Centre is a continuous process, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that restoration of J&K’s statehood would bring satisfaction to people.
Talking to reporters at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, CM Omar said, “Although the process has taken longer than expected, backchannel and formal discussions with the Central government are continuing.”
“We were hopeful about receiving some good news, but we haven’t lost hope. Continuous dialogue is underway. It has been around one and a half years, and hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer,” he said.
Welcoming the reopening of 11 tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister termed it a “good and timely decision” and thanked the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah for issuing directions in this regard.
“It is a good thing that these destinations have been reopened. I had met the Home Minister in Delhi and he had also come to meet recently. I requested him to open the closed areas. There is no point in keeping them shut. Even in the worst of circumstances, we have not kept these places closed,” CM Omar said.
He said the Home Minister had assured him that necessary instructions would be issued and the order has now been implemented. “I am thankful to the Home Minister for this decision,” he added.
Referring to tourist spots like Yousmarg and Dodhpathri, the Chief Minister said locals had suffered heavy losses due to the suspension of tourism activities. “The people living there incurred losses because of the closure. Now that the season is starting, I hope tourists will visit and take advantage of the beauty of these places,” he said.
The Chief Minister also launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a stark difference between its claims and actions.
He referred to a 2021 case related to alleged occupation of government land and said facts would eventually surface. “There is always a difference in what they say and what they do,” he said.
CM Omar further alleged that more than 90 per cent of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of a Member of Parliament representing Jammu & Kashmir was spent in Uttar Pradesh instead of the Union Territory. “He represents Jammu & Kashmir, sits here and has taken land from here, but when it comes to spending CDF, more than 90 per cent has been spent in UP. This clearly shows the gap between words and actions,” he said.
On the power situation, the Chief Minister acknowledged reports of a 34 per cent electricity deficit but assured that efforts were being made to minimise inconvenience, especially during the holy month of Ramadhan.
“There may be cuts due to the deficit, but this is not a new issue. We have inherited this deficit. It will be addressed over time as new power projects become operational,” he said.
Omar said he had convened a meeting to ensure that during city planning and preparations for the holy month, electricity cuts are kept to a minimum. “At least during this holy month, all efforts will be taken to reduce hardships faced by the people,” he added.
On the issue of regularisation, the Chief Minister said a time-bound policy would be implemented as announced in the Assembly and urged people to avoid protests.
“When we have already said in the Assembly that a time-bound process of regularisation will be implemented under a proper policy this year, then there is no need to come out on the streets. It is not good for them and not good for their future,” he said.
