SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday rejected claims of “discrimination against Jammu”, saying the issue is repeatedly invoked for political purposes whenever there is “nothing else to offer” to the public.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on the eve of the Budget session, Abdullah referred to the Union Budget’s mention that the Darbar Move is now “part of history” and questioned why those raising concerns over Jammu’s interests did not object at that time. He said traders and residents had themselves acknowledged a visible revival in Jammu’s markets over the past year, with shops and hotels witnessing increased activity.
Calling the discontinuation of the Darbar Move “one of the biggest injustices” done to Jammu in recent years, the Chief Minister said his government has consistently worked to maintain balance between the Jammu and Kashmir regions in terms of institutions and development.
He recalled that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the erstwhile state had been sanctioned one Central University and one Indian Institute of Management, which led to disagreement over their location. He said he had personally requested that the IIM be withdrawn in favour of sanctioning two Central Universities, one for each region, to maintain parity.
Abdullah said that while Jammu and Kashmir later received an Indian Institute of Technology and an Indian Institute of Management, these institutions were not evenly distributed and, in some cases, even promised branch campuses had not materialised. He cited the example of a board near DPS Chowk indicating a proposed branch campus of IIT that, he said, remains only on paper.
He said such instances reflect gaps between commitments made and their actual implementation, reiterating that his government remains committed to equitable development across both regions.
