Srinagar, Nov 19, KNT: Calling the assurances of a peaceful “new era” after 2019 a broken promise, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that the repeated loss of innocent lives shows that the situation in the region remains unchanged despite sweeping claims of normalcy.
Omar, who has been visiting families affected by the recent Nowgam blast, said that the weight of grief in these homes tells a story sharply different from official assurances. “Yesterday, I went to five places. Today, I am going to two more,” he said, noting that the cycle of violence has persisted for over three decades. “Ultimately, we want this to stop. Jammu and Kashmir has seen enough bloodshed in the last 30 to 35 years.”
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He said people were repeatedly told that violence would end after 2019, but the ground reality contradicts that narrative. “We were told this whole thing would stop, but it didn’t happen,” he said. “If it is not exploding in Delhi, it is exploding here. Innocent people are losing their lives.”
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Omar added that the responsibility for preventing such incidents lies squarely with those who oversee the security grid. “Why this is still happening, you should ask those responsible for our security. We don’t have that responsibility,” he stated.
On the development front, the Chief Minister said the Mission Yuva initiative has cleared nearly 30,000 Detailed Project Reports, while banks have sanctioned about 9,000 among them. He said around ₹400 crore has been disbursed to young entrepreneurs in the last five months.
However, he pointed to a significant discrepancy between DPR approvals and bank sanctions. “The approval rate is high, but bank sanctions are lower. We will work to correct this gap,” he said, adding that while the recent experience has been encouraging, several aspects still require improvement. He said the administration will continue reviewing performance to strengthen support for youth-led enterprises. [KNT]
