Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday asserted that the absence of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood should not be cited as an excuse for underperformance, emphasizing that the elected government already holds full administrative powers.
Speaking at the J&K Union Territory Foundation Day celebrations at the SKICC, Sinha said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made it clear in Parliament that the sequence would be delimitation first, assembly elections second, and restoration of statehood at an appropriate time.
“Some people still have issues with this. When the assembly elections were held, it was explicitly for the UT assembly. The elected representatives cannot claim that they are unable to work until statehood is restored,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Reiterating that the elected government possesses all necessary powers, Sinha cautioned against misleading the public under the pretext of the absence of statehood and urged the government to utilize its authority for the welfare and progress of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
