Srinagar, Oct 27 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, on Tuesday said the expansion of the Union Territory’s Cabinet would strengthen the government and ensure that people benefit from its initiatives, while taking a swipe at the BJP over its criticism of the exercise.
Surinder Choudhary said the government had fulfilled its promise to expand the Cabinet and pointed out that three ministerial positions had remained vacant before the latest exercise.
“My leader has fulfilled the promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that we would expand the Cabinet. We have carried out both the reshuffle and the expansion as promised,” he said.
Acknowledging that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken some time to fill the vacant positions, the Deputy Chief Minister said the induction of senior leaders would help strengthen the government and enable it to serve the people more effectively.
“It is right that three ministries were vacant. The Chief Minister took some time to fill the Cabinet seats. Multiple senior leaders have joined the Cabinet. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should benefit from this government, and that is why this expansion took place,” he said.
He also criticised the opposition BJP, saying it should focus on more substantive issues instead of repeatedly raising questions about the Cabinet expansion.
“Sunil Sharma Sahib, the Leader of the Opposition, is also here. Ask him as well. He was the one who kept saying that we would carry out the expansion. He started talking about it before us, but we have delivered,” he said.
“However, the media should ask them about the issue of how people of Jammu and Kashmir are ostracised outside. Why are the people of J&K beaten up in the rest of the country? Did any one of the BJP leaders speak about it? They should have spoken about it, condemned it,” he added.
The remarks came after four new ministers were inducted into the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, all belonging to the ruling National Conference (NC).
The newly inducted ministers include senior NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar, who represents the Khanyar Assembly constituency in Srinagar and has won the Assembly elections seven times. Shameema Firdous, the MLA from Habba Kadal in Srinagar, was also sworn in. She has won the constituency twice.
Mir Saifullah, who represents the Trehgam Assembly constituency in Kupwara district, and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, the MLA from Pahalgam in Anantnag district, were the other legislators inducted into the Cabinet.
Surinder Choudhary, Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana and Javaid Ahmad Dar are among the ministers who have been retained.
With the latest inductions, the total strength of the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, including the Chief Minister, has risen to nine, the maximum permitted under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The expansion fills the vacancies in the Cabinet and brings additional senior NC leaders into the government as it seeks to strengthen its administration and deliver on its commitments to the people of the Union Territory.
–IANS
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