LG’s Silence on Statehood a Setback: MLA Kupwara | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: MLA Kupwara Faheem Mir on Monday expressed disappointment over Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session, saying it offered no clarity on the restoration of statehood.

Speaking to Kashmir Life, Mir said the absence of any reference to statehood was a setback. He recalled that the Governor had addressed the issue last year, raising public expectations. “This time, even that hope has faded. The address reflects the government’s position, yet statehood was not mentioned at all,” he said.

Mir also noted that constitutional issues such as Article 370 and Article 35A, discussed earlier, were missing from the address.

Despite his criticism, the Kupwara legislator said he still expected the Budget, to be presented by the Chief Minister, to address pressing public concerns. He said the government should first deliver on promises already made, especially on youth employment, regularisation of daily wagers, power supply issues, and pending matters in the health department and the National Health Mission (NHM).

Highlighting problems in his constituency, Mir raised serious concerns about healthcare in Kupwara. He said that despite being a district headquarters, Kupwara has only a sub-district hospital and faces a shortage of doctors and paramedical staff. “In last year’s budget, we were promised an expansion of medical staff, but six months on, we do not even have a Block Medical Officer,” he said.

He also pointed to difficulties caused by frequent snowfall, prolonged power cuts, and delays in development works across the district.

Mir said both the National Conference and the BJP are responsible for honouring commitments made to the people, adding that all these issues would be taken up during the ongoing Budget Session.