Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday said the elected government in the Union Territory faces numerous challenges but remains committed to safeguarding the rights of the people despite its “limited powers.”
“There are those who want us to resign, but we are not the ones to turn our backs. We are workers of Sher-e-Kashmir and will continue to struggle and fight for the rights of the people,” Choudhary told reporters in Ganderbal district.
Responding to questions about fulfilling election promises, the deputy chief minister said, “You have to understand that we do not have a full state government. The special status and statehood, lost due to previous PDP policies, have left us with a UT government that has limited resources and powers. We operate under a dual governance system, with an elected government and an appointed administration, which restricts our freedom of action.”
Despite these hurdles, Choudhary emphasized that the National Conference government is working to address the people’s issues. “We are committed to fulfilling all promises made by NC president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. We have a five-year mandate, not just ten months, to implement our election promises. Only then can one fairly assess which promises have been fulfilled,” he said.
On whether statehood and the restoration of Article 35A will be raised in the upcoming assembly session, Choudhary noted that the cabinet discussed these issues in a meeting earlier today. “We reiterated our stance on statehood. However, even the LG seems to have overlooked business rules. Your questions are valid, but the circumstances we face are challenging,” he said.
Choudhary also criticized the opposition BJP and PDP, which governed Jammu and Kashmir in coalition from 2015 to 2018, for neglecting development in the region. “The PDP and BJP claim to have carried out extensive development over the past 11 years. But if that were true, why do we still face traffic jams and connectivity issues? We will not remain idle while the PDP, BJP, or the LG administration failed to act,” he added.
