Srinagar, Apr 23: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Jammu & Kashmir Assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Thursday alleged that governance in the Union Territory has come to a standstill and ministers in the National Conference-led government remain absent from the ground amid mounting public issues.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Sonwar here, LoP Sharma said the administration has become ineffective after the 2024 Assembly elections, while people continue to suffer due to shortages of electricity, drinking water, and poor road connectivity. He alleged that instead of addressing public grievances, those in power were busy with “marathons, cycling, skiing, and five-star dinners”.
The BJP leader accused the administration of rampant corruption, claiming that common citizens are unable to get routine work done in government offices without paying bribes. “Send an ordinary person to a tehsildar or BDO office, no work gets done without money. The transfer industry is functioning openly,” he alleged.
Targeting Omar Abdullah, Sharma said the Chief Minister is holding several departments but has failed to review their functioning. “He has around 17 departments, but no review meeting has been held so far,” he said.
The LoP further questioned the NC government over what he termed unfulfilled election promises, including free LPG cylinders, free electricity, and one lakh jobs for youth.
He also reacted to the recent security-related incident involving former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, demanding a thorough probe into the matter. He questioned whether any prior information regarding the threat was shared with police authorities and said the incident should be investigated from all angles. “The person involved has no criminal background. This needs proper investigation,” he said.
The BJP leader further claimed there was no security threat to the Abdullah family and remarked that they already enjoy heavy security cover.
Expressing surprise over Omar Abdullah’s renewed demand for restoration of statehood, Sharma said it was unusual that the demand was being raised after assuming office as Chief Minister. “I am surprised that Omar Abdullah became Chief Minister first and then started demanding statehood,” he said—(KNO)
