Omar Abdullah presses PM Modi for early J&K statehood

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, urging the early restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory and seeking central support for economic growth, infrastructure, tourism, and hydropower development.

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday, strongly pressing for the “early return” of full statehood to the Union Territory and seeking central support to accelerate the region’s economic and infrastructural growth.

According to a statement from the J&K government, Abdullah conveyed the deep aspirations of the people, underlining that the return of statehood is a vital step toward strengthening democratic institutions, deepening public participation, and advancing the next phase of the region’s development.

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“Jammu and Kashmir is committed to being a full and productive partner in India’s growth story,” the statement said, emphasising that robust central backing, combined with early statehood, would heavily accelerate J&K’s march toward inclusive growth, economic prosperity, and good governance.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, which was chaired by the prime minister earlier in the day.

Following the high-profile meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office shared photographs of the two leaders on social media platform X.
Later, Abdullah took to X to share details of the discussion, saying that he also congratulated the prime minister on achieving the “landmark” of completing 12 uninterrupted years in office.

“Called on Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji to discuss issues of importance to J&K including early return of Statehood, the state of the economy, pace of development and promotion of tourism,” Abdullah posted.

Restoration of statehood remains a dominant political issue in J&K, with all regional and national parties demanding that the Centre honour its commitment to full statehood without further delay.

Jammu and Kashmir was demoted from a state to a Union Territory on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated by carving out Ladakh as a UT without legislature.

Last week, the ruling National Conference (NC) announced plans to launch a protest in New Delhi on the opening day of the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament to demand immediate statehood and constitutional safeguards for the region.

According to Thursday’s statement, the chief minister detailed J&K’s current economic trajectory and outlined ongoing development initiatives across key service sectors.

While highlighting progress in public infrastructure and welfare delivery, Abdullah pointed out specific critical areas that require sustained central intervention.

In particular, the chief minister drew the prime minister’s attention to the urgent need for boosting rail services on the Udhampur-Srinagar line. The request comes at a critical juncture, with the local apple harvest season approaching and a scheduled 15-day closure of the Srinagar airport looming in October for mandatory runway repairs.

Abdullah also pushed for financial and policy support to fully harness J&K’s vast hydropower potential, develop new eco-tourism circuits, and provide sustained relief for local farmers, traditional artisans, and MSMEs.