Jammu, Feb 19: Criticising an order of the Kishtwar district magistrate on regulation of donations during Ramadhan, the Congress MLAs demanded its immediate revocation in the Assembly on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Kishtwar district authorities issued an order regulating the collection of donations during the holy month, citing concerns over unauthorised fundraising.

The point of order regarding the district magistrate’s directive was raised by Congress MLA Nizam Uddin Bhat during a discussion on the grants of the chief minister’s departments.

Bhat criticised the instructions and said that they need to be revoked.

Seconding Bhat, Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmed Mir said that the order should be condemned by all. “It is against the basic way of life in our religion. We demand it to be revoked immediately,” Mir said.

Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed ur Rehman Para and National Conference leader Javed Ahmed Beigh also demanded revocation of the order.

However, it found backing from the BJP’s Satesh Sharma. “It is the right decision. There should be monitoring,” Sharma said.

Kishtwar District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma said it is the statutory obligation of the administration to ensure that public contributions intended for relief, welfare or religious purposes are not misappropriated, laundered or diverted for extraneous or subversive activities.

There has been a tendency of unauthorised collection of donations by certain individuals and organisations during Ramzan, necessitating immediate regulatory intervention, he said in the order.

Jammu, Feb 19: Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, launched a scathing attack on the NC-led government, accusing it of complete failure and negligence towards the youth of the Union Territory. He asserted that while the government under Narendra Modi is relentlessly working to empower the youth across the nation, the administration led by Omar Abdullah has miserably failed to secure the future of J&K’s young generation.

Taking serious note of what he termed as the “utter apathy” of the Omar government, Sunil Sharma said that despite the Chief Minister overseeing as many as 18 crucial departments, review meetings are rarely conducted. “This inaction reflects misplaced priorities and administrative paralysis. Jammu & Kashmir deserves accountable governance, not hollow assurances,” he stated.

Highlighting the alarming unemployment scenario, Sharma said that during the tenure of the present government, merely 650 jobs have been created in various departments, making a mockery of the tall promise of providing one lakh jobs to the youth. “The promise of one lakh jobs now stands exposed as yet another political gimmick. Instead of ensuring transparent recruitment, the government is outsourcing jobs to private entities, crushing the aspirations of educated youth,” he said.

He further expressed grave concern over the continued neglect of daily wagers, ReK, ReT, and other temporary workers who have been waiting for years for regularization. These hardworking individuals have devoted the prime of their lives to public service, yet the NC government has abandoned them. Their plight reflects the anti-youth and anti-worker mindset of this regime, he added.

Contrasting the two governance models, Sharma emphasized that the Modi government has consistently prioritized youth welfare through expanded higher education opportunities, technical institutions, skill development missions, start-up support, and transparent recruitment processes. From start-up promotion to skill enhancement and employment generation, the BJP-led government at the Centre is laying a strong foundation for a self-reliant and empowered youth, he said.

Reiterating BJP’s commitment, Sunil Sharma affirmed that the party will continue to raise its voice against every injustice meted out to the youth, students, and marginalized sections under the oppressive and directionless governance of the NC-led government in Jammu & Kashmir.

Srinagar, Feb 19: The security forces on Thursday busted an inter-state weapon racket in Nowshera area of Rajouri district, with the arrest of one individual who according to officials was in direct contact with Pakistan-based terrorists and smugglers.

Based on specific and credible intelligence inputs, a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CIF Romeo, under the aegis of White Knight Corps resulted in the swift arrest of an individual, identified as Sachin alias Pamma, resident of Nowshera, officials of White Knight Corps said.

They said the operation reflects seamless coordination and actionable intelligence leading to a decisive outcome.

During the operation, security forces recovered 01 TISAS Zigana 9mm (Turkey-made) pistol, 01 TT-30 (Norinco-China-made) pistol, 02 extended  50-round Zigana magazines, 02 standard pistol magazines, and 15 9mm live rounds.

Preliminary investigation indicates the arrested individual was in direct contact with Pakistan-based terrorists/smugglers and was operating a trans-border and inter-state weapons racket, official said.

With the arrest, intelligence agencies, J&K Police and Romeo Force have effectively busted and thwarted the nefarious designs aimed at destabilizing the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir, official added.

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the government will initiate the process of regularising daily-rated, ad hoc and other temporary employees in a legally and financially sustainable manner in 2026, even as it works to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts during the current year.

Replying to the discussion on grants of his departments and cut motions in the Assembly, Abdullah said the issue of daily wagers and temporary workers was raised by members across party lines and acknowledged that the problem had persisted for decades. “These employees have been struggling for 20, 30 and even 40 years. No government has been able to fully resolve the issue,” he said.

“During the discussion on the lieutenant governor’s address and later during the Budget session, I clearly stated that we would begin the process of regularisation of these employees in a legally and financially viable manner this year, God willing,” he said.

The chief minister informed that a committee, under the supervision of the chief secretary, had been constituted to examine the matter to ensure that any policy framed does not get stuck in courts or the finance department. “Once the committee submits its report and the groundwork is completed in a transparent manner, we will place everything before the people,” he added.

Rejecting any suggestion of a hurried decision, Abdullah said regularisation could not be done overnight. “I am not willing to mislead these employees by merely signing a paper without proper preparation,” he said, adding that the number of such workers — whether 70,000, 80,000 or one lakh — would be worked out through a proper timetable.

Over one lakh daily wagers and casual labourers are currently engaged across government departments in Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister informed the Assembly on Tuesday, assuring that a legally sustainable approach is being adopted on the issue of their regularisation.

He highlighted that the registered workforce includes 69,696 casual labourers, 8,836 daily rated workers, 8,534 seasonal labourers, 5,757 food and civil supplies helpers, 2,153 part-time sweepers and 1,929 persons engaged through the hospital development fund.

On the matter of employment generation, the chief minister mentioned that there was a clear distinction between the creation of posts and appointments. “We have created posts, but filled far more — around 6,000 to 6,500 posts,” he said, reiterating that the government aims to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts this year without creating new positions.

He also assured the House that all vacancies would be filled in a transparent and time-bound manner in coordination with the Selection Board and the Public Service Commission, to avoid legal challenges that had derailed recruitment processes in the past.