Omar Abdullah government under scrutiny amid rising public discontent in J&K

 Statehood, jobs & basic services remain unfulfilled

All eyes are on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's office as expectations of residents of J&K remain unmet (Photo: J&K CMO)

On October 17, 2024, nearly five years after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister of truncated Jammu and Kashmir, having led his National Conference party to victory in historic elections, that were held after a prolonged period of central rule, political uncertainty, and administrative control by the Lieutenant Governor.

For many residents, this transition was not merely arrival of an elected government but also a symbolic moment that carried expectations of political dignity, economic relief, and institutional normalcy.

However, barely 15 months later, public conversations across Jammu and Kashmir have shifted from hope to hard questions as to what exactly has changed on the ground.

Abdullah’s government is facing mounting scrutiny over what it has achieved and more significantly, what remains unfulfilled. As winter sets in, public discourse across Jammu and Kashmir has shifted decisively from post-election optimism to a deeper assessment of governance, delivery, and accountability.

When the National Conference’s (NC) released its manifesto ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections, it had struck a chord with voters fatigued by uncertainty and economic distress. The document promised dignity, development and relief along with 100,000 jobs for youth, free electricity up to 200 units, free water, faster recruitment, restoration of statehood and meaningful governance. For many, especially the young, these were not just campaign slogans but assurances tied to survival and stability. One year later, those promises are being measured against everyday realities.

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From the opposition benches, criticism of the NC  first year in power has been particularly sharp. Mohammad Rafiq Rather, Baramulla District President of the Peoples Democratic Party, the principal opposition party in the region, says the NC has failed not only on governance but also on protecting the dignity and honour of ordinary citizens.

“People voted for statehood, honour, and dignity. But today, no one’s dignity feels safe in Kashmir,” Rather tells Media India Group.

Mohammad Rafiq Rather

He emphasises that ground realities remain largely unchanged despite the change in elected government.

“Checking inside houses is still going on. Jobs of government employees are still being terminated. During Governor’s rule, dozens of employees were removed without FIRs or proper procedure. This has continued under the NC government,” he adds.

Rather further alleges that preventive detention laws, such as the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), continue to be invoked.

“PSA is still being used. This is a humiliation of dignity and honour. The government is not resisting these actions. They are only enjoying protocol, salaries and cars,” he says.

According to official figures, detention orders under the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act have been issued against 444 people since August 2019, and 389 remain in detention under the PSA as of late 2025. Additionally, authorities report that 437 individuals are currently under preventive detention under various statutory provisions. Meanwhile, security forces have carried out hundreds of house searches and cordon‑and‑search operations across multiple districts this year, reflecting the ongoing intensity of such interventions.

He also points out that ministers’ salaries and perks have increased even as unemployment remains rampant.

“Jammu & Kashmir still has nearly 185,000 vacant posts across departments, yet people are being rendered jobless instead of more people being hired,” Rather adds.

According to him, the contradiction between unfilled vacancies and rising unemployment reflects a deep policy failure.

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The promise of creating 100,000 jobs was perhaps the most emotionally charged commitment in the NC manifesto. But the scale of joblessness in the Union Territory remains stark. Official data paints a starkly different picture. As of 2025, more than 370,000 unemployed youth are registered with employment exchanges across Jammu & Kashmir, including over 200,000 in Kashmir Valley alone.

Official government figures presented in the Legislative Assembly show that 32,474 government posts remain vacant across departments, including 2,503 gazetted posts, 19,214 non‑gazetted posts and 10,757 multi‑tasking staff positions. Since the NC government took office on October 16, 2024, only 3,727 of these vacancies have been referred to the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) and the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC) for recruitment.

For young graduates like Zainab bint Tariq from Baramulla, the disconnect between electoral rhetoric and reality is personal and immediate.

“There are no jobs in Kashmir. The government promised opportunities, but on the ground there is nothing. The only thing they have done is free bus service and even that is limited mostly to Srinagar. Other than that, nothing has changed for people like us,” Tariq tells Media India Group.

The refrain from jobseekers that the government’s actions have been limited to visible but superficial services reflects an emerging narrative of disillusionment among a generation that had placed its hopes in political change.

Javeed Bhat

Adding to the growing frustration among the youth, Javeed Bhat, a social activist, says that NC has not done anything snice they have been elected.

“I honestly don’t know what the government has been doing in this one year. NC has not done anything except buying cars for themselves. They keep saying that they need orders to be confirmed by the Governor, but for buying cars they don’t need any order. They have not completed even a single small promise from their manifesto,” Bhat tells Media India Group.

Bhat emphasises that his criticism reflects a wider public frustration over selective authority, where limitations are routinely cited to delay welfare measures but seem absent when it comes to administrative privileges. According to him, this selective exercise of power has eroded public trust and reinforced the perception that governance is disconnected from people’s lived experiences.

Mir Imran, a lawyer, from Handwara in Baramulla district highlights the tangible outcomes of the government’s first year.

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“If we look at the past year honestly, there is not much that people can call a real achievement. The government started with big announcements and a lot of visibility, but very little changed on the ground. A few old projects were dusted off, some paperwork moved faster for a while, and that is mostly what people noticed. Jobs were the biggest hope, yet nothing meaningful has happened. Instead, young people were drawn into endless debates over reservation, while the promise to fix the quota system remains exactly where it started,” Imran tells Media India Group.

While employment remains a concern, basic services have also deteriorated. Households in Kashmir reported more than 8-10 hours of unscheduled power cuts in the last six months and many households in Baramulla and Budgam continue to face intermittent water shortages, highlighting gaps in promised utilities like free electricity for up to 200 units and improved water supply.

“Even basic services have slipped. Power cuts are more frequent, and water shortages have become a regular part of life. The government talks a lot about accountability and clean governance, but when things go wrong, the blame is pushed onto the LG. Naturally, people are left wondering, if the CM doesn’t have the authority to act, then what is his role supposed to be,” Imran adds.

Mir Imran

Bhat emphasises that the gap between what was promised before the elections and what is being delivered now has left people feeling misled.

“They said 200 units of free electricity, but now they are making it mandatory to install new smart meters. People feel cheated. Free electricity was a clear promise before elections. Now it comes with conditions and confusion,” Bhat adds.

Restoration of statehood, a core demand across party lines, has also seen little progress. NC leaders continue to raise the issue at the national level, but beyond resolutions and statements, tangible action remains limited. Public perception is that the government has focussed on rhetoric rather than practical steps.

“People voted for statehood, honour and dignity. But today, no one’s dignity feels safe in Kashmir,” says Rather.

The lack of progress has fuelled growing scepticism among voters who see the promise of autonomy as increasingly distant.

“People in Kashmir did not vote for the National Conference for anything else. The main reason they gave their mandate was the promise of restoring statehood. But over one year later, that promise remains unfulfilled, and ordinary citizens are left wondering when their core demand will be addressed,” says Rather.

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Explaining the legal limits of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir after 2019, Srinagar-based lawyer Umar Masood says the current power structure leaves the Chief Minister with authority that is real but tightly circumscribed by law, with decisive control resting with the Lieutenant Governor.

Umar Masood

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