Key governance issues likely on agenda
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has convened a meeting of National Conference (NC) legislators and independent MLAs supporting the ruling alliance on June 3 to deliberate on matters of collective importance, public welfare and governance.
According to sources, Omar has personally invited all NC MLAs to attend the meeting, scheduled to be held at his Gupkar residence at 10:00 AM.
According to sources, the Chief Minister, in his invitation letter, stated that the meeting would discuss “matters of collective importance and issues concerning public welfare.”
Besides NC legislators, all four independent MLAs supporting the NC-led Government—Akram Choudhary (Surankote), Dr. Rameshwar Singh (Bani), Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (Thanamandi) and Pyare Lal Sharma (Inderwal)—have also been invited.
Sources said governance is expected to be a key focus of the deliberations, with the functioning of ministers also likely to come under discussion.
The meeting comes amid reports of growing discontent among some legislators over the functioning of a minister.
Sources said three MLAs from a particular region met the Chief Minister before Eid-ul-Adha and complained of alleged bias in the allotment of projects and funds, claiming their constituencies were being neglected while the minister’s constituency was receiving a disproportionate share.
They added that during an NC provincial committee meeting held earlier this month, a legislator from Central Kashmir also alleged that the same minister had threatened to have him expelled from the party after he approached him regarding a development project.
The June 3 meeting assumes significance as Omar Abdullah had earlier hinted at making a major political statement after Eid. Speaking at a function in Tangmarg on May 6, he said he wanted to “burst like a cloudburst” but would speak openly at a public gathering after Eid.
While the official agenda has not been made public, the reference to “matters of collective importance” has triggered speculation that broader issues, including the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, could be discussed. Omar had also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 11 and discussed statehood restoration, transaction of business rules, rationalisation of reservation and other governance-related matters.
Repeated attempts to obtain comments from NC leaders on the agenda of the meeting and the allegations against the minister were unsuccessful, with party leaders maintaining that they were unaware of the details. (KNO)
