Srinagar | Sep, 19: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Saturday sharply criticized the government for repeatedly citing a “lack of powers” when faced with daily public grievances. He emphasized that essential civic demands—such as clean water, electricity, proper roads, and adequate staff in schools and hospitals—are the direct responsibility of the elected administration. Speaking at a public interaction program, Sharma noted that citizens are consistently turned away with claims of limited authority after two years of elected governance. He urged the government not to link basic administrative tasks to the restoration of statehood.
“For every issue, whether small or big, the only answer that comes from the government and government machinery is that we have no powers,” he said.
“Where pipes had to be connected, where poles and wires were required, where schools needed staff, where hospitals needed doctors and paramedics, where potholes on roads had to be filled; for every issue the same answer was received: statehood is not there,” Sharma added. He further questioned the core purpose of the administration, asking: “If at the end of two years we say that we need statehood even to install poles, wires and pipes and we need statehood even to provide staff, then why are we in government? Why are we in the Assembly?”
Highlighting key public concerns, the BJP leader assured that the Opposition would vigorously raise recruitment and unemployment issues during the upcoming Assembly session. He strongly criticized the current outsourcing model, asserting that 25,000 jobs have been occupied through outsourcing without guarantees of formal advertisement. “You have occupied 25,000 jobs. I say this with a guarantee that these 25,000 will not be advertised again,” he claimed. Expressing disappointment over limited Assembly sittings, Sharma noted, “Jammu and Kashmir’s issues are different. There are so many issues here on a single platform. So, a response like this makes a person ask: where should we go, whom should we speak to?” He reaffirmed that the BJP’s outreach effort is focused on hearing grievances directly from the public to push for central and regional action, reports said.
