 Early Times Report
New Delhi, Oct 10: Senior Advocate M K Bhardwaj on Saturday told the Supreme Court that the people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to face hardships owing to severe financial constraints, unemployment, and stagnation in developmental works
Appearing before a bench hearing a clutch of petitions related to the grant of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Senior Advocate M K Bhardwaj submitted that the region, particularly the Jammu division, has been witnessing a complete halt in developmental activities due to the paucity of funds.
“In the Jammu region particularly, there is no developmental work. Whenever the people go to their elected representatives or legislators, the only response they get from the government is the lack of funds.
‘We cannot take care of the developmental works in the Jammu region due to paucity of funds’ is the government’s response,” he told the court.
He argued that the prevailing peace and stability in the region strengthen the case for early restoration of statehood. Referring to the recent Pahalgam attack, Bhardwaj pointed out that despite such incidents, normalcy has largely prevailed.
“Peace has been maintained, the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has ensured smooth conduct of the Yatra even amid heavy rains, and there has been an influx of tourists. Hence, citing security threats as a reason to delay the restoration of statehood does not hold ground,” Bhardwaj added.
The matter concerning the resto Appears before bench hearing clutch of petitions related to grant of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
Says Jammu division witnessing complete halt in development activities due to the paucity of funds
In that verdict, the Apex Court recorded the Centre’s assurance that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir (except Ladakh) at the earliest. It also directed the Election Commission of India to conduct assembly elections in J&K by September 30, 2024, and observed that the restoration of statehood “shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible.”
While elections have since been conducted in accordance with the court’s directions, statehood has not yet been restored.
During the latest hearing, submissions were also made by Advocates Sardar Joginder Singh and Meharban Singh, who have filed separate petitions that were clubbed with the main matter. Senior Advocate M.K. Bhardwaj, assisted by Advocates Manik Bhardwaj, Joginder Singh, Suraj, and Gayathri (AOR), advanced detailed arguments highlighting the financial and administrative hardships faced by the residents due to the prolonged Union Territory status.
After hearing the counsels for the petitioners, the Supreme Court granted four weeks’ time to the Solicitor General of India to file a detailed response to the submissions. The matter has been listed for further hearing after four weeks, as per the order passed by the court on October 10, 2025. |
