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Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Reservation issue: J&K govt betraying general category youth: AIP
Jun 22, 2025 09:00 AM IST Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has launched a scathing attack on the Omar Abdullah-led state government, accusing it of shifting priorities and betraying the open merit / general category youth by deliberately stalling the cabinet sub-committee report on reservations. The party further accused the NC-led administration of governance by evasion and appeasement. (File) AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi criticised the government for its shocking admission that no serious deliberation took place on the report and that it now plans to rework it. He said this reflects a pattern of apathy, deception and calculated avoidance of responsibility towards merit-based candidates. According to AIP, National Conference (NC) has turned the promise of justice into a political farce. After six months of committee meetings and public engagement, the government's failure to present the report in the cabinet reveals a deliberate attempt to bury the issue. The party further accused the NC-led administration of governance by evasion and appeasement. The lack of timeline, commitment and conviction, they said, indicates that the government is reluctant to defend merit and fairness and instead prefers to issue hollow reassurances without taking real action. Describing justice for general category candidates as a constitutional necessity rather than a political choice, AIP termed the government's reluctance to act as an act of political cowardice. AIP accused the ruling dispensation of hiding behind bureaucratic language to avoid confronting the core issue.
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
J&K legislators receive ₹3-crore constituency development fund boost
Jammu and Kashmir legislators have received a long-awaited financial boost with the government releasing ₹3 crore per assembly member under the constituency development fund (CDF) for the current fiscal year. While legislators welcomed the move, many have voiced concern that the amount is inadequate given the rising costs and developmental demands across their constituencies. Under the current structure, each legislator is entitled to spend ₹3 crore annually, totaling ₹15 crore over their five-year term. This is the first major release of CDF since the newly elected assembly took office in October 2024—marking the first such legislative body since J&K's reorganisation into a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. From 2018 until last year, the region was without a functioning assembly. The government had announced the CDF during the previous assembly session, but the funds were released only recently. PDP legislator and Pulwama representative Waheed ur Rehman Parra said ₹3 crore is insufficient to address the needs of around 100 villages in his constituency. 'This amount hasn't changed in ten years despite inflation and increasing demands. My focus will be on youth empowerment, especially women,' he said. Tanvir Sadiq, NC legislator from Hazratbal, emphasized a 'people-first' approach. 'Our focus is on roads, drainage, mohalla clinics, schools, heritage restoration, and water body protection,' he said. However, Sadiq raised concerns over procedural bottlenecks. 'We can't use the CDF for medical aid or emergencies like fire victims, which was earlier possible. The new tender-based system delays urgent works, defeating the very purpose of the fund,' he added, urging for flexibility and timely disbursal of funds. From Langate, Awami Itihaad Party's Sheikh Khursheed highlighted education, healthcare, irrigation, and youth development as key priorities. He criticized the static allocation, pointing out that some Union Territories provide legislators with ₹10 crore annually. 'The CDF should reflect constituency size and population. Cost escalation over the decade has made the current allocation unrealistic,' he said. Congress leader GA Mir from Kokernag echoed similar concerns, stating that while the funds were welcomed, they fell short of public expectations. 'People have huge hopes, and ₹3 crore is a modest amount. Still, I'll try to use it generously to address their immediate needs,' he said. While legislators have welcomed the release of CDF after years of administrative vacuum, they agree that reforms in fund allocation, flexibility, and timeliness are urgently needed to make the scheme truly impactful for grassroots development in Jammu and Kashmir.
