Jammu, Sept 23: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday said the elected government in the Union Territory is facing multiple challenges but continues to work for the rights of the people with its “limited powers.”
“There are some who want us to resign, but we are not among those who run away. We are workers of Sher-e-Kashmir, and we will continue to fight for the rights of the people. We will not turn our backs,” Choudhary told reporters in Ganderbal district.
Responding to a question on whether the government has been able to fulfill its election promises, the deputy chief minister said, “You have to understand that we do not have a state government. The special status and statehood we lost, which were handed over by the PDP in the past, have resulted in a UT government with limited resources and powers. We do not have a free hand as there is still a dual governance system, with both an elected government and an appointed administration.”
Choudhary emphasized that despite the hurdles, the National Conference government is striving to address people’s problems. “We will fulfill all promises made by NC president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. We have a five-year mandate, not just 10 months, to fulfill our election promises. Then people can judge which promises we have fulfilled and which we have not,” he said.
On whether statehood and the restoration of Article 35A would be raised in the upcoming assembly session, Choudhary said these issues were discussed in the cabinet meeting held earlier in the day. “We reiterated our stand on statehood. Putting statehood aside, the LG sahib seems to have delayed finalizing the business rules. Your questions are valid, but you must understand the circumstances we are going through,” he added.
Choudhary also criticized the opposition BJP and PDP, which had ruled Jammu and Kashmir in coalition from 2015 to 2018, accusing them of neglecting regional development.
“The PDP and BJP claim to have done a lot in Jammu and Kashmir over the past 11 years. But if so much work was done in widening roads and improving connectivity, why are we still facing traffic jams? We will not remain idle just because the PDP, BJP, or the LG administration did nothing,” he said.
(Agencies)
