CM Omar holds talks with alliance partners ahead of Budget session

Ahead of the Budget session starting on Monday, the National Conference (NC) and Congress held separate meetings before Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a joint meeting of alliance partners on Sunday afternoon. Various issues, including the smooth functioning of the House, were discussed during the meeting.

The joint meeting was attended by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader GA Mir and CPM MLA Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was also present.

Following the meeting, Tarigami told mediapersons that legislators have an opportunity to raise public issues inside the House. “The Budget session is taking place after a long time, and people have high expectations from this government. We all have a responsibility to meet these expectations and ensure the people get relief,” he said.

Speaking on the issue of statehood, Tarigami added, “The Cabinet resolution on the restoration of statehood is before the Centre, which has repeatedly promised the people of J&K that it will be restored. They should fulfill their promise so that people do not feel hopeless.”

National Conference chief whip Mubarak Gul stated that the party’s legislature meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister, lasted an hour and focused on countering the opposition’s charges in the Assembly. “This was followed by a meeting of alliance partners, which was also attended by Farooq Abdullah. Participants voiced their concerns, and various issues were discussed in detail to ensure a peaceful session,” he said, adding that the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party met separately at the party office in Jammu, where it was decided that Congress MLAs would raise issues affecting the common people of J&K. The Congress currently holds six seats in the Assembly.

CLP leader GA Mir emphasised that the Budget session holds great significance as, for the past several years, bureaucrats had been preparing the Budget, which was then discussed in Parliament. “After seven years, an elected government is presenting the Budget, and it will reflect the aspirations of the people. Their voices will resonate in the House for six weeks,” he said, assuring that the government would fulfill its promises over the next five years.

Speaking to reporters, Mir noted that it is customary for both ruling and opposition parties to convene their legislature party meetings before the Assembly session to discuss key issues.

“Only four and a half months have passed since the formation of the NC-led government, yet people are already questioning what has been done. They should remember that when this government was formed on October 16, the Budget had already been decided, which was a major hurdle,” he said.

Mir expressed hope that the Budget presented by the government would address key public concerns and lay the foundation for implementing the party’s manifesto during the 2025-26 financial year.