Proud moment for entire Jammu region, says Dy CM Surinder Choudhary after oath ceremony

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s new Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday said it is a proud moment for the entire Jammu region and added the National Conference (NC) has always taken all the three regions, including Ladakh, together.

Choudhary, who is from Pir Panjal in the Jammu region, said the priorities of the Omar Abdullah government will be to bridge the vacuum and address issues like unemployment, electricity and water crisis, improve functioning of hospitals and schools and create tourism infrastructure, besides resuming the ‘darbar move’ – a bi-annual practice under which the government used to function six months each from Jammu and Srinagar.

“It is a proud moment for the people of Pir Panjal in general and my constituency Nowshera (in the Rajouri district) in particular… It is a proud moment for the entire Jammu region. I thank (National Conference president) Farooq Abdullah and (Chief Minister) Omar Abdullah on behalf of the people for this honour,” Choudhary said after the oath-taking ceremony here.

“The NC leadership proved it again that both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are equally important to them. This is the leadership which rises above political, religious and communal connotations and works for the people, unlike those who are talking about Jammu CM but failed to appoint the lieutenant governor or governor from the region in the past 10 years,” he said.

The deputy chief minister expressed hope that the Centre will keep its promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will restore statehood to the region.

“Home Minister (Amit Shah) is on record in Parliament having promised restoration of statehood (after assembly elections) and protection to land and jobs. We are not nominated MLAs or nominated government. We are elected and so we believe that the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and home minister will honour their commitment and strengthen democracy by restoring statehood,” he said.

“Let us see how long they will take to keep their promise,” he added. (PTI)