Srinagar, Sept 21 : Jammu and Kashmir assembly speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said that elected government lacks the powers necessary to implement its manifesto in full until statehood is restored.
Rather said that while people had voted enthusiastically for change, the absence of adequate powers remained the biggest obstacle.
“The government doesn’t have the authority to implement all those promises immediately. Until the restoration of statehood takes place, I believe it will be difficult for the government to deliver on its manifesto in full,” Rather said.
He added that there was a widespread perception that the Chief Minister did not have the powers expected of the office. “According to the business rules, decisions regarding powers between the government and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration must be clarified. This itself is a significant issue, particularly concerning reservation policies,” he said.
Asked whether people’s hopes had not been met despite the ruling party’s two-thirds majority, Rather said frustrations were visible but resignation was not an answer.
“Resignation is not a solution. It’s not a problem-solving tool. If resigning were the answer to people’s troubles, then we would have already asked everyone to resign and walked away from governance,” he said.
On the timeline for statehood restoration, Rather said that assurances given at the highest levels. “We have three major pillars affirming statehood’s restoration: the Prime Minister of India, the Home Minister of India, and the Supreme Court of India. All three have stated in unison that statehood will be reinstated. We should have faith in these assurances,” he said.
Responding to opposition charges of bias in Assembly proceedings, Rather said he acted strictly within constitutional limits. “I took decisions based solely on legal frameworks, not political convenience. Whether a decision favours or disfavors someone doesn’t matter. What matters is that I uphold the law at all times,” he said.
On reservation policies, Rather said a committee and a cabinet sub-committee had submitted their reports and the matter was under government consideration. He added that the Assembly session must be convened in October as per constitutional requirements.
Rather also said that business rules defining the Chief Minister’s powers were yet to be finalised. “It remains uncertain what falls under the Chief Minister’s jurisdiction and what is under others. This gap between expectation and reality is precisely why people feel disheartened,” he said.
Acknowledging rising public frustration over unmet expectations, Rather said that people should understand the limits of the current arrangement.
“People want the government to be strong and empowered and expect it to have adequate powers to address their problems. There is no doubt about this expectation. The demand is genuine but they should understand limits of current arrangement,” he added..
