Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary asserted on Thursday that the Omar Abdullah-led government is not operating without authority but is actively exercising its powers, as evident in its decision to suspend employees for neglecting their duties.
Speaking at a press conference in Jammu, Choudhary said the government doesn’t want to act harshly against employees, but they must understand their responsibilities just as the government is fulfilling its duties.
He said the decision to suspend employees was not taken lightly but was necessary to enforce accountability in public administration.
He dismissed claims of the government being powerless. “There is a clear distribution of power. Everything is well-defined,’’ Choudhary said.
“Who says the Omar Abdullah-led government doesn’t have powers? It’s because of this authority that employees were suspended.” Choudhary highlighted the importance of governance reforms as part of the administration’s broader strategy to rebuild public trust after years of political turmoil in the Union Territory.
The deputy chief minister also stressed that the government aims to balance accountability with fairness. “We are not against employees. For us, voters and government employees are equally important,’’ he said.
“However, we expect accountability from them, and we are determined to ensure people get their rights.”
This move comes amidst efforts by the government to streamline the bureaucracy and address concerns of inefficiency in public service delivery.
Abdullah-led government, the first in a decade, has felt constrained in making decisions to its liking as Jammu and Kashmir continues to be a Union Territory. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha enjoys more powers than the elected government and controls key levers of the power inducting top bureaucracy including those from the IAS and IPS.
The elected government wants to make some popular decisions to come good on the election promises—200 watts of electricity without charge, 12 gas cylinders for cooking, increased rations etc. However, a decision on such freebies is pending even after the government completed six weeks in office.