Jammu, March 2 J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday chaired a meeting of coalition partners ahead of the Budget session of the Assembly beginning on March 3.
The meeting was attended by Congress legislature party leader G.A.Mir and CPI-M legislator, M.Y.Tarigami.
The coalition partners meeting took place after Omar Abdullah presided over a separate meeting of his National Conference (NC) legislators at the Wazarat Road residence of the Chief Minister here.
Before joining the meeting of coalition partners chaired by the Chief Minister, Congress MLAs also had a separate meeting at the Residency Road headquarters of the party here.
Defending the NC government headed by Omar Abdullah, Congress leader Mir told reporters: "Only four and a half months have passed since the formation of the NC-led government, but many people are questioning the government that it has not done this or that. They should remember that when the government was formed on October 16, the budget had already been decided and it was also a big hurdle in the way."
Mir hoped that the budget being presented by the government will address the popular public issues and will also lay the foundation for the implementation of the manifesto during the financial year 2025-26.
He said the government has already passed a resolution for restoration of statehood in the last session held in Srinagar and so the delay is from the BJP-led Central government which has made repeated promises to the people of J&K on the subject.
"When the Prime Minister chaired the All=Party Meeting of J&K leaders in June 2021, we were all witness to his statement that reorganisation will be followed by delimitation, elections and then restoration of statehood. The Centre should have fulfilled its promise after the formation of the popular government in J&K, but the delay is on their side."
About the opposition PDP planning to introduce bills to push for the prohibition of alcohol and seek regularisation of property rights of residents on public land, he said it is up to the house to decide on such bills.
“It is also a matter of concern that when they (PDP) were in power with BJP, why they did not introduce such bills? The government is more concerned about the issues raised in the election manifesto for which the people voted for it," he said, adding that the Congress has been repeatedly saying that restoration of statehood was the biggest issue during last year’s Assembly elections and INDIA bloc is committed to it.
"Congress, being the largest party in the INDIA bloc, has already made it clear in their Working Committee meeting and during the election campaigns," Mir said.
Opposition BJP held a two-day training workshop for its first-time MLAs at Katra, the base town of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
The training workshop was addressed by the BJP President, J.P. Nadda on Saturday.
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