Jammu, January 11
Jammu and Kashmir ruling coalition partners National Conference and Congress are rushing towards a break-up point over the creation of new administrative units in the state.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said he would go ahead with the creation of these new administrative units despite opposition, appearing to have made the creation of the new administrative units a prestige point and pushing the Congress to the cliff on this matter.

“Come what may, I will create new administrative units in all the three regions of the state. I will see to it that these units are set up as long as I am the Chief Minister, despite stiff opposition by some who take their instructions from New Delhi,” Omar said in an unmistakable reference to the Congress.

New administrative units of tehsils, naibats and blocks are aimed at setting up units that would decentralise power centres and bring the administration to the doorstep of people.

Continuing his no-words-minced speech at a rally in Vijaypur, 29 km south-west of Jammu, Omar said: “I know how to get things done. I have also seen a lot of politics during these years.”

A source in the National Conference said “anything could happen any time” if the issue of administrative units was not resolved by January 15, hinting at the party parting ways with the Congress and facing the people. The Chief Minister also said he would go to the people only after these units were set up.

On the other hand, the Congress is learnt to be “mentally prepared to face the people on this issue”, if a senior leader of the party is to be believed. J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saif-ud-Din Soz, however, said he would comment only after the cabinet sub-committee submits its report to the Cabinet. State Congress leaders have been regularly briefing AICC general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ambika Soni about these developments. “She is our high command. We are keeping her informed about the ways the NC is trying to steamroll us and our party,” a minister told The Tribune.

The Chief Minister has set a January 15 deadline to the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) headed by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Congress) to submit the report so that an early decision could be taken on the creation of the new units.

The Congress has two objections to this: for one, there is no need to hurry on this issue and that the two panels constituted earlier had discriminated against Jammu. The party is also pushing hard for the rehabilitation of the refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971, who have neither been rehabilitated nor given property rights despite being bonafide residents of J&K. 

"Come what may, I will create new administrative units in all the three regions of the state. I will see to it that these units are set up as long as I am the Chief Minister, despite stiff opposition by some who take their instructions from New Delhi."

Omar Abdullah, j-k cm