Hours after the newly elected government took charge in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the administration canceled several orders under which powers were handed over to the Administrative Council headed by the Lieutenant Governor to rule the Union Territory. According to an official statement, some government orders initiated in 2020 have been withdrawn. The order to cancel these was issued by Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner/Secretary of General Administration Department.
Let us tell you that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his five-member council of ministers took charge of the government after taking oath on Wednesday. When Omar Abdullah arrived at the Civil Secretariat to take charge as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, it was a significant political moment for the Union Territory. The Chief Minister was given a grand welcome by the officers and employees and he (Chief Minister) inspected the guard of honor. Abdullah, who became the first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after the status of Jammu and Kashmir was reduced from a state to a Union Territory, reached his office room where he was warmly welcomed by the employees before formally assuming charge. “I’m back,” Abdullah wrote on the ‘X’ along with a photo of him sitting in his office chair.
Let us tell you that Abdullah had been the Chief Minister between 2009 and 2014 when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state. He held an introductory meeting with administrative secretaries to decide the contours of his new administration. Deputy Chief Minister Surendra Kumar Chaudhary along with ministers Sakina Masood Itu, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javed Ahmed Dar and Satish Sharma were also present in the meeting. Chief Secretary Atal Dullu, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and administrative secretaries of all departments were present in the meeting. Dullu warmly welcomed the new Chief Minister and promised to extend full support to the administration to the Abdullah-led government. “We are fully dedicated to fulfilling the vision of the government and ensuring progress of the people,” Dullu said. Abdullah praised the role of the authorities in ensuring peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
He emphasized that the people of the region have shown great confidence in democracy, the government and its institutions. The Chief Minister said, “We should rise to the occasion and live up to the expectations that have been placed on us.” Focusing on governance, the Chief Minister reiterated the need to put the people first and highlighted that the primary role of the government is to serve the citizens and address their concerns. He acknowledged that a gap has developed between the public and the government over the years, but expressed his commitment to reducing this gap. He said, “The approach of our administration will be people-friendly. “We have entered the Civil Secretariat with a positive mindset, focused on providing the best services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” Abdullah stressed that bridging the gap between citizens and the government is a top priority. “That is why democratic governments are preferred across India and we will work tirelessly to bring people closer to the government and its institutions,” he said. Abdullah also expressed his desire to work closely with the officials and promised full cooperation and expected similar cooperation in return.
Let us also tell you that just four months after facing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections held in June this year, Omar Abdullah won a landslide victory in the assembly elections and took oath as the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The journey has been full of ups and downs. In June, Omar Abdullah suffered a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections when he lost the Baramulla seat to independent candidate Abdul Rashid Shaikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, by a margin of over two lakh votes. While other parties were busy preparing for the assembly elections, the NC vice president had announced that he would stay out of the elections until the Center restores statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. However, he soon changed his stance and NC fielded him from not one but two seats, Budgam and Ganderbal. He won both the seats easily.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in August 2019, the NC’s support has grown unexpectedly and a large section of voters have joined the region’s oldest political party. Has given his support. Omar, who dropped out of his MBA studies from Strathclyde University, contested the 1998 elections and was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha at the age of 28, becoming the youngest member of the lower house of parliament. He was re-elected in 1999 and became Minister of State for Industry and Commerce and Minister of State for External Affairs in 2000, but resigned from the Council of Ministers after the Godhra incident. After being handed over the reins by his father, Omar lost the 2002 assembly elections from the family stronghold of Ganderbal to candidate Qazi Mohammad Afzal. In the year 2004 he was again elected to the Lok Sabha. In the assembly elections held at the end of 2008, he won the Ganderbal seat and the National Conference emerged as the largest party. He became Chief Minister at the age of 38 and was one of the youngest Chief Ministers in the country and led a coalition government with the Congress.
