Jammu, May 19: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said that the Centre remains committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and urged people to rely on the assurances made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament.
In an interview with a national television channel, the Lieutenant Governor said the commitments made by the country’s leadership regarding statehood restoration were significant and should be taken seriously by the people.
He stated that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister had earlier announced in Parliament that statehood would be restored after the completion of delimitation and Assembly elections at an appropriate time. Referring to the recent Assembly elections, Sinha said the polls were conducted peacefully with enthusiastic voter participation and without incidents of re-polling or stone-pelting.
The LG maintained that statements made on the floor of Parliament carry constitutional and political importance, adding that people familiar with parliamentary traditions understand the value of such commitments.
Commenting on the present administration in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was functioning effectively, though he refrained from reacting to repeated demands by the National Conference for immediate restoration of statehood.
Highlighting the situation in the Union Territory, the LG said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed major improvements in peace, stability and economic activity during the past few years. He said sectors such as tourism, infrastructure, agriculture and overall development have recorded significant progress.
Sinha further claimed that Jammu and Kashmir Bank, which had earlier faced financial losses, is now performing profitably, while developmental works across the Union Territory have gained momentum.
Referring to the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, the LG said security agencies acted swiftly and neutralized all those involved in the incident. He added that the armed forces carried out precise operations within 72 hours under “Operation Sindoor.”
On the security front, Sinha said militant recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir has declined drastically and asserted that several top militant commanders have been eliminated in sustained anti-terror operations.
Discussing the ongoing anti-drug campaign, the LG said narco-trafficking and terrorism are closely linked, alleging that money generated through drug smuggling is often used to finance terror activities. He said police and security agencies have intensified crackdowns on drug networks by registering FIRs and attaching properties linked to narcotics trade.
The Lieutenant Governor also said that regional discrimination in Jammu and Kashmir has ended and that the administration is focusing on border area development, youth welfare, rehabilitation of terror victim families and tackling radicalization through modern technology-driven measures.(KNC)
