Jammu, Mar 07: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday described his government’s budget presentation in the legislative assembly as “historic,” claiming it was the first time in history that the concerns of every legislator were considered during the budget formulation.
Addressing a post-budget press conference, Omar outlined his vision to make Jammu and Kashmir economically self-reliant, with an aim to reduce its dependence on Delhi for routine matters. He acknowledged that achieving this goal would require difficult decisions, but emphasised that the long-term benefits for the people of J&K would outweigh any immediate challenges.
Responding to opposition criticism regarding the non-fulfillment of manifesto promises, Omar asserted that the government is addressing these commitments one step at a time.
“I’ve said before, the people didn’t give us a five-week or five-month mandate; they gave us five years. So don’t ask me every day which promise has been fulfilled. Ask me after five years,” Omar said. “On that day, I will present my checklist and show what I have achieved. I don’t need to provide a daily update on promises.”
He further expressed that the Budget is “a love letter to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“I don’t expect anything but criticism of this Budget from the Opposition…This Budget is a love letter to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar added.
He, however, criticised the Union Territory (UT) structure with an assembly, calling it the “worst form” of government in the country. “I still maintain that a UT with an Assembly is by far the worst form of government in the country. I have no hesitation in saying this. There should only be two systems in this country- either you have a UT without Assembly or a state,” he said during a press conference in Jammu.
When asked why free electricity was initially provided only to the Antyodaya (AAY) category, Omar explained, “For now, we’re focusing on the areas that need the most attention. If you compare our electricity generation and revenue collection to other states, we’re doing far better. Despite this, we are committed to providing 200 units of free electricity to the most deserving people. We’ll expand this benefit as our financial situation improves.”
On the issue of daily wage employees, Omar stated that the government plans to first assess their numbers before devising a comprehensive policy for their regularization.
Addressing the issue of Kashmiri Pandit returnees, Omar emphasised the need for creating a secure environment for their return. “We have committed to improving their living conditions and completing the transit accommodation project for them,” he said. “However, their return depends on addressing the security situation. Until we can ensure their safety, we cannot expect them to return fully. Creating a secure environment for Kashmiri Pandits is a shared responsibility of the UT administration and the elected government.”
Commenting on his appointment as an ambassador by Prime Minister Modi to combat obesity, Omar said, “We want to set an example for others to follow. At my age, I can run 20 kilometers. So, what excuse do young people have? I’m not trying to scare them but encourage them to set healthy habits. I’ll ask my ministerial colleagues to join me in running five kilometers, and from there, we will push the rest of J&K to follow suit.”
Omar also highlighted plans to boost Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism by encouraging film shootings in the region. “While we actively promote J&K in Bollywood, we’ve not focused as much on the South Indian film industry,” he said. “We will encourage film industries from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala to shoot here. This will create local job opportunities and attract more South Indian tourists.”
Responding to questions regarding tourist arrivals, Omar clarified the methodology behind the figures provided by the government. “We’ve changed the way we count tourist numbers. We now count visits, not people. For example, a family of three could visit multiple destinations like Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Sonamarg. Each destination counts as one visit for each person,” he explained. “So, when we say there were 4 crore visits, it doesn’t mean 4 crore people came; it means the total number of visits to various sites.”
The Chief Minister said that efforts to develop international-standard cricket stadiums in Jammu and Srinagar. “We’re trying to bring IPL matches to J&K. A stadium is being proposed on the Katra side, and we’re in talks with the BCCI to build another one in Kashmir,” he added.
