Owais Gul
Srinagar, Jan 2: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the restoration of J&K statehood is the biggest challenge and that the dual power system is not to anyone’s advantage.
Addressing his first news conference after assuming charge as J&K Chief Minister, at SKICC here, Omar, said, “The authority should be with one person only. You will never find the dual power system in offices or elsewhere as the things work smoothly in a single power system,” he said.
He added that the business rules would be framed after proper consultations and sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, adding that these rules will bring clarity soon.
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister stated that there are no boundaries for the general public as they can go to anyone for getting their issues resolved, adding that the people have their own choice to go to the MLAs, Ministers or the Raj Bhawan to get their issues resolved.
The Chief Minister said that the biggest challenge is to get back the Statehood as J&K is facing multiple challenges including day-to-day governance, deficit budget as we spend more but earn less due to which we are dependent on the centre.
“Going to the court to seek statehood would have been the fight, which should have been the last option. The government has already promised the restoration of statehood. We have to give them an opportunity to restore it, and knocking the doors of court would be our last option,” he added.
The Chief Minister also said, “I have been here for the last over two months and no one from the BJP leadership or the LG administration has forced us to change our stance, or dictate us. We have been told that the people have given their mandate to NC and you have got a chance to serve. The Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have assured us that ‘nobody will try to destabilize the government and you have every support like Lt Governor was getting from us’.”
About the promises done by the National Conference, Omar said that the party manifesto was based on a five year term of government. “We are aware and are doing work in a certain time-frame. However, some issues we have promised can be resolved only after the restoration of Statehood. Since we took over, we have started with the resolution of special status, reversal of school sessions,” he said.
Furthermore, he said that the decision on free units was not done as it was decided to increase the supply in the first instance for the wellbeing of the people. “We will come up with the 100 days report card after the period is over,” he added.
Also, the Chief Minister said that as promised, the accountability will be ensured in all the departments. “The Ministers have been asked to ensure accountability and whatever wrong is done, will be corrected,” he said.
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the people are enough to reply to the scuttlebutt like they recently showed the entire world that how the humanity is alive in Kashmir, saying that the people welcomed the guests from outside Jammu and Kashmir after the snowfall occurred and led to the closure of roads. “There were forceful directions from anyone to the people, but the people showed humanity to the world by welcoming the guests in their homes irrespective of their religion and caste,” he said.
Responding to a query on holidays on the late Sheikh Abdullah’s birthday on December 5 and Martyrs Day on July 13, the Chief Minister said that the holidays are part of J&K history. “Everything we do is a continuation of remembering sacrifices. The people are bearing the fruit of Sheikh Abdullah’s legacy, he said.
Reacting to the termination of a few government employees, Omar said that “more can be done for these employees when we are a state and less can be done as UT.”
“A militant’s son is not a militant; it is unlawful to punish anyone on the basis of the family members. We cannot instruct an order, but we have already taken up the issue in this regard and are expecting an ease as well,” he said when asked about the people don’t get the positive verification if their relatives are involved in any anti-national activities.
