Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need for coordination between the Center, JK Sarkar and LG for security operations, RJD MP Manoj Jha said on Thursday that the safety of tourists should remain the highest priority for all stakeholders, underlining that the Center should make an open communication to address the region issues.
Talking to ANI, Jha said, “If you see, JK is not yet a state. The Center should talk openly about all issues (about JK), and it should not become a center versus state thing, but the safety of tourists should be the most priority.”
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need for coordination between the three power centers – the government, the central government and the lieutenant governor’s office – to ensure security and law and order in the region after the Pahgam terror attack.
Earlier on Wednesday, JK CM Abdullah said that the safety of tourists is currently within the powers of the Lieutenant Governor.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Abdullah said, “The fact is that security and law and order are not the responsibility of the elected government. Whose responsibility is there? Lieutenant Governor … There are three sets of power centers. I said that the central government, elected government, and Raj Bhavan needed to work together to ensure that what happened on April 22 did not happen again …”
On 22 April, in an intoxicated attack, terrorists killed 26 people, including a Nepali citizen, in Pahgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack was the deadliest in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
CM Abdullah said that his government is making efforts to restore the general situation in the region, for which the government itself is holding meetings here.
To restore the general situation in the region, Abdullah has instructed the Education Minister to resume picnic in schools and colleges and encourage visits at popular tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahgam. He presided over meetings to discuss the situation and plan for the future.
He said, “Everything was closed after 22 April. Before people from all over the country come here, we should come here first. Therefore, a cabinet meeting was called yesterday in Pahgam and today a meeting of administrative secretaries and heads of senior departments was held … I have instructed the Education Minister to ensure that they are ready for schools and colleges.