JAMMU, Dec 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed confidence that ‘Business Rules’ for Jammu and Kashmir will be released by the end of this month or early next month even as he charged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with indulging in excesses with the people of Jammu and assured that his Government will undo the wrongs done by the national party with the region.In a brief chat with media persons here, Omar while asserting that the ‘Business Rules’ will be released either by December end or by January start said that work is on to get some clarity in framing up the Rules.
“We hope the Rules will be released,” he said while responding to a questioning on the delay in releasing ‘Business Rules’ by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Rules will define powers of the Chief Minister, Cabinet, Ministers, Administrative Secretaries and others. Powers of the Lieutenant Governor have already been defined.
Responding to a question on expansion of the Cabinet which has only five Ministers, the Chief Minister said it is his job.
The Cabinet has the Chief Minister and five Ministers. It can have three more Ministers. Five Ministers have been holding charge of multiple departments.
Rejecting Opposition’s criticism of his Government, Omar said they will publish report card after completion of five year rule
“If Opposition had to deliver, the people would have given them the mandate. We have been given five years and not five days, five weeks or five months. We will publish our report card after completion of five years,” he said.
The Chief Minister defended his decision to revive bi-annual Darbar Move practice in Jammu and Kashmir under which the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Government, used to function six months each in Jammu and Srinagar.
The Darbar functioned for six months of winter in Jammu and six months of summer in Srinagar. The practice, introduced by Dogra rulers nearly 150 years ago, was stopped by in 2021.
Omar accused the BJP of indulging in excesses with the people of Jammu but promised that his Government will set right the things and undo the wrongs done by the national party with the region.
“It was BJP which stopped the Darbar Move and committed excesses with Jammu. They have done injustice with the region in every aspect. They destroyed its map and everything that was left by the Maharaja (last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh). For the sake of it, they claim to have respect for Maharaja but what they did with his map, Darbar Move, State subject law”? he asked.
The Chief Minister sought a detailed discussion in the Parliament on ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill saying the National Conference will sit and take a decision on the subject before it is put to vote.
The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday approved the Constitutional amendment bill to roll out the concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls.
A separate bill has also been drafted for three Union Territories of jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry. If the proposal matures, term of the J&K Legislative Assembly will be cut short by about six months as next elections for the Legislature will be held in April-May 2029 as against due time period of September-October 2029.
“Still it is a Cabinet proposal and so far the bill has not been tabled in the Parliament. Let there be a detailed discussion on the issue. It should not meet the same fate as the bill related to Article 370 and (transforming J&K into) UT in 2019 which was passed within one or two hours after a token discussion,” Omar said.
He said it should be put to open discussion in the Parliament which will decide on it.
“As far as the National Conference is concerned, we will sit and form an opinion and accordingly brief our Members of parliament how to vote,” he added.
