SRINAGAR, Oct 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore Statehood to J&K.
Highly placed sources told Excelsior that the maiden Cabinet meeting held here today passed a resolution urging the Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore Statehood to J&K.The draft of the resolution has been prepared and the Chief Minister will travel to New Delhi in a couple of days to handover the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to restore Statehood to J&K,” sources said.
During the Cabinet meeting, key administrative issues were discussed, and the Government’s immediate priorities were outlined.
The newly-formed Cabinet reviewed significant governance challenges, focusing on streamlining processes, addressing public grievances, and promoting transparency within the bureaucracy. The Cabinet also evaluated the progress of ongoing development projects.
The meeting was presided over by the Chief Minister and was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Minsters Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma.
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The resolution was passed a day after Congress refused to join the Council of Ministers to express unhappiness over non-restoration of Statehood. JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra told reporters on the sidelines of the oath ceremony yesterday that Congress would continue to fight for the restoration of Statehood to J&K.
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today expressed confidence that the Centre would soon restore Statehood to J&K.
Abdullah made these remarks during his visit to the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar, where he met local shopkeepers. He emphasized that discussions about restoring Statehood to J&K have been ongoing.
“We have talked about Statehood before, and even today, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an application seeking restoration of Statehood within two months. I am sure the Government of India will soon restore it,” he said.
When asked whether the National Conference would raise the Article 370 issue or pass a resolution against it in the Assembly, Abdullah said that they would need to return to court to present their arguments.
“But the most important thing is to alleviate the hardships faced by the people here. There is unemployment and hopelessness that need to be addressed. We also need to improve traffic regulations, as people do not obey the rules, especially motorcyclists who often ride without helmets,” he added.
He also announced the end of VIP culture on the roads, asserting that people would be relieved from the annoying sound of sirens. “There will be no more sirens that irritate the ears of the public. Everyone is equal here, whether locals or politicians; there are no VIPs,” he said.
