Srinagar, Oct 18 (JKNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that the National Conference will declare its candidate for Budgam constituency within the next 48 hours.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah as per news agency JKNS reiterated that his party stands committed to its manifesto and will implement every promise made to the people during its tenure.
He said the NC is ready to extend support to Congress in Nagrota constituency if the party decides to contest from there.
Expressing optimism on statehood, Omar said he hoped the process would be expedited. “We are hopeful that statehood will be restored at the earliest,” he remarked.
On the reservation issue, the Chief Minister said the matter will be decided soon. “Let the cabinet memo be finalised and reach the Lieutenant Governor. It is only a matter of days before the decision comes,” Omar said.
On power concerns, he stated that free electricity up to 200 units for poor households cannot be provided unless smart meters are installed.
Referring to tourism, Omar said the government is working on measures to revive the sector after the recent Pahalgam attack.
When asked about his manifesto promise regarding the Public Safety Act (PSA), Omar Abdullah said the law will be revoked once J&K regains statehood.
“We will not even wait for an assembly session. The moment statehood is restored, our government will revoke PSA through an ordinance,” Omar Abdullah said, stressing that security and law & order matters are presently under the Lieutenant Governor.
“Once statehood is back, the PSA will be scrapped from Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar reiterated. (JKNS)
