Says “Present phase temporary, UT status can’t shield those indulging in corrupt practices for long”
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory’s (UT’s) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said that his meetings in Delhi were very successful and that he got “assurances from the highest level on the change in the Governance Model of the J&K.”
In his address to Cabinet colleagues and Administrative Secretaries at the Civil Secretariat here, Omar after taking the pledge for Corruption free J&K, said that the pledge must mean something. “Our world must count for something. The citizens of J&K through media and wider social media will see us taking this place. Our pledge should count,” Omar said .
The Chief Minister said that he has just arrived from New Delhi after having “very successful meetings there.” “I got assurances from the highest level in Delhi on the change in J&K’s governance model,” Omar said.
Omar was in Delhi last week where he met Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Amit Shah and also the Prime Minister Narendera Modi. Sources said that he presented the copies of resolution seeking restoration of Statehood passed in the first cabinet meeting in Srinagar, to Home Minister Shah and PM Modi. The resolution demands restoration of “Full Statehood to J&K.”
On August 5, 2019, the BJP led government in Centre sliced erstwhile State of J&K into two UTs—J&K and Ladakh. The Centre also rolled back Article 370.
Omar said that the world of government must stand for something significant. “Our conduct will be closely watched by the people. If we claim one thing and do another, our word won’t count for anything then,” he said.
He said that the present phase was temporary, referring to the fact that J&K was a UT. “Some people may try to exploit temporary loopholes and pitch one against another. Let me tell you that rest assured, this phase is temporary. Those who may use this phase as a shield for themselves won’t enjoy the same for long,” he said.
Omar reiterated his commitment for zero tolerance against corruption. “It will start from me. If I do anything wrong and expect my cabinet colleagues to do only right, that’s not possible. Same would apply to my cabinet colleagues, if they do anything wrong and expect their subordinates to right, perhaps that’s not possible,” he said. Earlier, Omar, cabinet ministers and the administrative secretaries took a pledge for making J&K corruption free.
