Srinagar, Aug 21 (JKNS): Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday criticised the bills introduced in Parliament, saying they focus on punishing political leaders through enforcement agencies instead of addressing Jammu and Kashmir’s core demand of restoring statehood.
“Instead of healing, we’re being pulled back towards colonial-style governance,” Choudhary said while reacting to the three bills tabled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which provide for removing elected officials who remain in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
He urged Parliament to act in the true spirit of democracy. “Whatever comes from Parliament should unite the nation, create jobs, and secure the future. Not divide us,” he said.
The Deputy CM also hit out at the slow pace of the Sanatnagar flyover project, sanctioned at ₹29 crore, of which ₹23 crore has already been paid. “Only ₹7 crore remains, yet such a large portion of the work is pending. I’ve asked for an inquiry into how these payments were made,” Choudhary said.
During his site visit, he gave the contractor a final deadline of November 15 to complete the bridge, warning of blacklisting in case of failure. “This isn’t the contractor’s personal project. It’s a public work, and the department will make sure it’s completed properly,” he said, adding that penalties would follow if the deadline was missed.
Choudhary further confirmed that reports of structural damage to the flyover were under formal inquiry.
On statehood, he said people were disappointed after their hopes of an August 15 announcement were dashed. “People across India and the diaspora expected a major announcement on full statehood, but we missed that date too. Recent developments in Parliament look more like political theatre than substantive change,” he said. (JKNS)
