J&K Assembly polls after delimitation: Finance Minister

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 18

The government on Thursday said the J&K Assembly elections would be held after the conclusion of the delimitation process and the final decision on poll schedule would be that of the Election Commission.

During a debate on the Budget for J&K for 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said development works were progressing fast in the UT only because the “law and order situation had improved and the people had accepted the changes” post abrogation of Article 370.

“The District Development Council poll were a referendum on those decisions and 51% voting showed that the people had welcomed the decisions,” Sitharaman said after National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi flagged concerns accusing the Centre of converting J&K from a democracy to a bureaucracy.

Sitharaman rejected NC’s assertions asking why 51% people would vote if law and order was not normal and if militant threats loomed.

‘No more monopoly’

Abrogation of Article 370 has ended the political monopoly. The UT has 4,103 sarpanches and 28,942 panches. It’s a sign of a strengthening grassroots democracy. Jamyang Namgyal, Ladakh MP

‘Hasn’t helped’

This Budget should have been discussed in the state Assembly of J&K. The decision regarding August 5, 2019, was a misadventure. It hasn’t helped. Hasnain Masoodi, NC MP

She said six lakh youth had participated in sports activities in J&K since 2019 and this reflected normalcy.

“Terrorism related incidents are down,” Sitharaman noted informing the Lok Sabha that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link would be completed by December 2022. She said 3,500 MW power was generated in J&K in 70 years while MoUs for generating 3,300 MW had already been signed UT since 2019.