Omar Abdullah-led Govt committed to youth welfare & empowerment: Javid Ahmad Dar

• Urges Youth to gear up for upcoming Panchayat polls 

JAMMU: Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative, and Election, today reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Omar Abdullah-led government towards the welfare and empowerment of youth. He said the government is focused on creating sustainable livelihood opportunities that allow young people to lead lives of dignity and self-reliance.

The minister was addressing a day-long Youth National Conference (YNC) convention organized under the leadership of Tejinder Pal Singh Aman, Provincial President YNC Jammu at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, Jammu. Senior NC leaders former Minister and Additional General Secretary JKNC, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra and Provincial President Rattan Lal Gupta were guest of honors, Provincial Secretaries Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Pardeep Bali, Ayub Malik, Ex-MLA Bimla Luthra, Vijay Lochan Chairman SC Cell, Abdul Gani Teli Chairman OBC Cell, Shamim Begum DDC Dansal, Joginder Singh Kaku DDC Nagrota, Rajni Devi Working President Women wing Jammu, Chander Mohan Sharma District President Jammu Urban, Raghbir Singh Manhas District President Jammu Rural A, Naresh Bittu District President Jammu Rural B were also present.

Javid Ahmad Dar, who was the Chief Guest at the event, criticized the previous regimes for neglecting youth-centric policies over the past decade. He asserted that under the leadership of Omar Abdullah, the government has ensured equitable representation to the Jammu region, despite a larger mandate from Kashmir.

Highlighting key welfare initiatives of the present dispensation, he mentioned schemes like free travel for women in government buses, 200 units of free electricity to AAY families, and enhanced marriage assistance of ₹75,000 for girls. He also noted that Jammu and Kashmir recently received Rs10,637 crore package for massive infrastructure push in the region, which also includes key projects like the Sadhna Tunnel and the Mughal Road Tunnel.

The minister said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has committed to address the issues being faced by youth of J&K. He emphasized that the youth are not only the backbone of society but also have to play a pivotal role in the political and social transformation of Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the youth cadre to aim high, work with dedication, and strengthen the organizational fabric of the party to bring about meaningful change.

Ajay Sadhotra, Additional General Secretary, in his address, said that the so-called Double Engine Government of BJP has completely failed in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the BJP, which ruled J&K for the past 10 years, abrogated Article 370 with tall promises of reducing unemployment and ending terrorism, but nothing has changed on the ground.

Ajay Sadhotra stressed the urgent need to end the ongoing system of dual governance in the Union Territory which has created only chaos and hurdles in the present dispensation. Reiterating that statehood is the constitutional right of the people of J&K, he appealed to the Centre to restore it without any further delay. 

Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President JKNC Jammu, in his address, said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered immensely during the last 10 years of BJP’s rule. Citing official data presented in Parliament, he revealed that over 13.5 lakh youth in the Union Territory are trapped in drug addiction, with the alarming trend starting as early as the age of 10. “This is the harsh reality of what the BJP has delivered and achieved in the name of development over the past decade,” he said.

The Provincial President called upon the younger generation to rise to the occasion and actively prepare for the upcoming Urban Local Body and Panchayat elections. He urged the youth cadre of the National Conference to work with dedication and ensure the victory of NC candidates at the grassroots level, with the aim of restoring accountable governance and safeguarding the future of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, Tejinder Pal Singh, Provincial President YNC threw light on the issues concerning the youth amid the rising drug menace. He raised serious concern over growing unemployment in J&K, emphasizing the need to absorb local youth in the hydroelectric projects of the Kishtwar region. Furthermore, he also urged the senior functionaries of the party to give youth a chance in the upcoming Urban Local Body and Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bimla Luthra, Ex MLA and senior NC leader said that women have been the worst sufferers under the successive regimes led by the BJP, facing neglect and lack of meaningful support. She asserted that the present government under the leadership of CM Omar Abdullah is fully committed to addressing the challenges faced by women in Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring their dignity, security, and empowerment at every level.

Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Provincial Secretary, urged the youth cadre to strengthen the hands of Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by actively participating in party activities and playing a decisive role in the political and developmental journey of Jammu and Kashmir.  In the end, the Youth cadre presented a memento to the Minister Javid Ahmed Dar.

Among those who were present included Rakesh Singh Raka Vice President Central Zone, Laxmi Datta Sr. leader, Rita Gupta, Dilshad Malik Vice Presidents Central Zone Nitish Goswami Vice President Jammu Province Hameed Choudhary Central Zone President YNC, Sahil Kerni District President Jammu Urban YNC,  Ashwani Charak Block President Jammu East, S. Gurnam Singh Block President Jammu West, Davinder Sharma Block President Jammu West B, Dev Raj, Mohan Kaith Rtd SSP, Deyi Dyal Jogi, Joginder Kour, Sapna Gill Block President Jammu East Women Wing, Zamir Quershi, Muzamil Malik, Rakesh Sharma (Phalwan), Majid Iqbal Naik, Jatinder Singh Lucky, Sahil Chib, Amit Sharma, Rahul Attri, Gourav Bhagat, Razat, Ramvijay Singh, Kunik, Aman Manhas, Jatin Bhat, Jatinder Kumar, Tilak Sharma and others.