Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 15: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have made it clear that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will be restored in due course of time.
However, Rijiju, who holds the parliamentary affairs and minority affairs portfolios, declined to give a timeline for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.
“The prime minister and the home minister made clear indications in the past that in due course of time, statehood will be restored (to Jammu and Kashmir) and the powers and functions will be demarcated very clearly,” Rijiju told reporters here.
The Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West said he would not like to comment on the timeline for restoration of statehood or division of powers between the lieutenant governor and the elected chief minister at this time as his visit to Kashmir was confined to the Union Budget.
“Therefore, I would not like to venture into the political and governance side… I can only say that Jammu and Kashmir is within the status of a Union Territory at this time. The lieutenant governor is the administrative head of the UT but we have also elected a government. We have a very successful government which was elected very recently,” he said.
On the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Rijiju claimed that Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar were on board with " I can only say that Jammu and Kashmir is within the status of a Union Territory at this time. The lieutenant governor is the administrative head of the UT but we have also elected a government. We have a very successful government which was elected very recently,”
“The Waqf bill is for transparent management of properties for the benefit of Muslims. There is no way that anyone can snatch the properties,” he said.
Asked if Naidu and Kumar were supportive of the bill, the minister replied in the affirmative saying several Muslim MPs too have privately supported it.
“Several Muslim MPs have expressed support (for the bill) while thousands of Muslims, including women, have welcomed it,” Rijiju said.
On the reduction in budgetary allocation for Jammu and Kashmir for the 2025-26 fiscal, Rijiju said the provisions have been made as per the spending capacity of the Union Territory in the current fiscal.
“The budgetary allocations are according to the Union Territory status. The finance minister has made it clear that the allocation is as per spending capacity. She also said whatever money is needed will be provided. It does not include the centrally-sponsored schemes. There is no dearth of resources,” he said.
The minister also said that there was relief for horticulture farmers and handicraft artisans of Jammu and Kashmir in the Budget.
“J-K has a special situation. There is a lot of relief for horticulture and handicrafts. Special mission mode announcements have been made to enhance exports of handicrafts and Kashmiri art,” Rijiju said.
After this Budget, small-scale and medium-scale industries will get a boost in Jammu and Kashmir, he added. | 