Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma has questioned the Omar Abdullah-led government over its handling of basic public issues, arguing that the absence of statehood should not be cited as a reason for failing to address routine administrative concerns across Jammu and Kashmir.Speaking during a public interaction programme in Srinagar, Sharma said residents were raising concerns over water supply, electricity, roads, schools, hospitals, employment and public services, but were repeatedly being told that the government lacked sufficient powers because Jammu and Kashmir had not regained statehood.Sharma questioned the government’s position, asking why an elected government and Assembly were in place if everyday administrative matters could not be addressed. He said that if issues such as installing electricity poles, laying pipes, providing infrastructure and filling staff positions were being linked to statehood, the government needed to explain how it intended to function during its full five-year term.The J&K Leader of Opposition also highlighted unemployment among youth as a major concern ahead of the upcoming Assembly session. Referring to figures discussed during the interaction, he said people aged between 19 and 29 account for more than 32 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population.Sharma said the Opposition would take up issues raised by the public in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and pursue matters requiring intervention from the Central Government.He also raised questions over the government’s recruitment and outsourcing policies, claiming that around 25,000 jobs had been filled through outsourcing and alleging that such posts would not be advertised again. He further referred to demands for regularisation raised by outsourced and scheme-based workers across different government departments.On the upcoming J&K Assembly session, Sharma questioned the limited number of sitting days, saying Jammu and Kashmir faced a range of issues that required adequate time for discussion and scrutiny. He defended the Opposition’s public outreach programme, stating that its purpose was to listen to people’s grievances and take them to the appropriate forums.Regarding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Sharma said the issue remained important but should not become a blanket explanation for shortcomings in day-to-day governance. He maintained that many public grievances could be addressed even in the present administrative framework.His remarks come ahead of the forthcoming Assembly session, where issues including J&K statehood, unemployment, government recruitment, outsourcing, public services, infrastructure and day-to-day governance are expected to receive attention.
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