The government on Thursday said the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will be held after the conclusion of the delimitation process and the final decision on poll schedule would be that of the Election Commission.
Replying to a debate on the budget for Jammu and Kashmir for 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said development works were progressing fast in the UT only because between August 5, 2019 and today, the “law and order situation has improved and the people have accepted the changes”.
“I want to thank the people of J&K for welcoming the changes of August 5, 2019 and peacefully participating in activities. The District Development Council Elections were a referendum on those decisions and a 51 per cent voting percentage showed that the people have welcomed the decisions,” Sitharaman said after National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi flagged security concerns accusing the Centre of converting J&K from a democracy to a bureaucracy.
The FM rejected NC’s assertions asking why 51 pc people would vote if law and order was not normal and if militant threats loomed.
She said six lakh youth had participated in sports activities in JK since 2019 and this reflected normalcy.
“Terrorism related incidents are down,” Sitharaman noted informing the Lok Sabha that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baralumma rail link would be completed by December 2022.
She said 3,500 MW power was generated in JK in 70 years since Independence while MoUs for generating 3,300 MW had already been signed UT since 2019.
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