Omar Abdullah Says Jammu Kashmir Governance ‘Not A Pretty Picture’

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that his government’s ability to function effectively is being undermined by the lack of administrative control over senior officers, describing the situation as “not a pretty picture.” In an interview with Hindustan Times, Abdullah voiced frustration over what he called “a lopsided distribution of powers” between the elected government and the Raj Bhawan in the Union Territory.

“When you don’t get to decide who your officers are, it’s not a pretty picture,” Abdullah told HT correspondents Ramesh Vinayak and Mir Ehsan in Srinagar, drawing a sharp parallel to the central government’s powers. “If someone were to tell Prime Minister Modi that he cannot decide who his secretaries or the army chief will be, how easy would it be for him to govern? That is the situation we find ourselves in,” he said.

A year into his term as the first chief minister of the Union Territory, Abdullah said the transition from President’s Rule to an elected government — and from a state to a Union Territory structure — has been a “steep learning curve.” He said the most persistent obstacle has been the Raj Bhawan’s control over key appointments, transfers, and disciplinary powers, including over IAS, IPS, and even Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officers.

Abdullah alleged that the current system has led to arbitrary administrative decisions, including the transfer of state officers to Ladakh “as punishment.” “It almost feels as if a message is being sent not to toe the line of the elected government,” he said. “Even an officer in the chief minister’s office was threatened with being sent to Ladakh. This doesn’t make for a healthy picture.”

He also pointed out that the information department, which by rule should be headed by a JKAS officer, has been placed under an IAS officer “just to keep it out of the purview of the elected government.” “As chief minister, I should be deciding who my director, information is,” Abdullah said. “We don’t even have an advocate general a year into government, despite having allowed the existing AG to continue.”

Asked whether he had taken up these issues with the Centre, Abdullah said his government had submitted its interpretation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to clarify business rules. “That has come into some difficulty because there is a difference of opinion,” he said. “If it had been as smooth as we wanted, the rules would have been notified by now.”

On his relationship with the Lieutenant Governor, Abdullah was candid, “There are working relationships but nothing beyond that.” When asked if there was synergy between the two sides, he replied bluntly, “Nahin hai (It’s not there).”

The National Conference leader also criticised the continuing delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “It was a three-stage process: delimitation, election, and statehood. Now we keep hearing that it will be returned at an appropriate time. Yet nobody has quantified what that appropriate time is,” he said. “Statehood is not about me or my party; it’s about a sovereign promise made to Parliament and the Supreme Court. That must count for something.”

Abdullah indicated that his patience is wearing thin over the delay. “Everything has an expiry period. Even patience has,” he said, adding that his level of disappointment “is higher than it was a year ago.”

Responding to the suggestion that the Pahalgam terror attack — which severely hit tourism — might have influenced the delay in statehood restoration, Abdullah said it would be “extremely unfair” if that were true. “No elected government has been responsible for an attack of this nature against tourists. How can you hold the return of statehood hostage to something like this?” he asked. “Are we saying that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will now be decided first from across the border and then in Delhi? Statehood cannot be linked to Pakistan’s terror strategy.”

Abdullah also warned that unrest in Ladakh could have implications in Jammu and Kashmir. “People are watching what happens there. If Ladakh gets some of its demands fulfilled while Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t, then how do I tell my people to wait?” he asked.

Despite the turbulence, Abdullah said his government has made progress on welfare and development projects. “We have increased social welfare payouts, launched Mission Yuva for self-employment, provided free transport for women in government buses, and improved electricity supply,” he said. He cited the completion of long-delayed infrastructure works, including a bridge in Srinagar whose foundation he had laid in 2011.

Asked about his political alignment, Abdullah said his association with the INDIA bloc is “limited to what happens in Jammu and Kashmir.” He ruled out any alliance with the BJP, calling the PDP’s 2015 coalition with the party “a historic blunder.” “If statehood doesn’t happen, so be it,” he said.

Looking ahead to his second year in office, Abdullah said his focus will remain on bridging the gap between resources and expenditure, accelerating development, and completing key infrastructure projects. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to eliminate “dil ki doori aur Dilli ki doori,” Abdullah remarked, “It’s work in progress. We could have gone further.”