Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his council of ministers would be expanded and reshuffled in the first two to three days of next week, urging party colleagues and legislators not to lobby for ministerial positions as the list has already been finalised.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar on 24 October, Abdullah said he had sought time from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to carry out the exercise. The chief minister met Sinha at Lok Bhawan on Saturday morning.
“Yes, it (reshuffle) certainly was (discussed). I requested time from him for the expansion and asked him that in the first two to three days of next week, I will carry out the expansion and certain changes in my Council of Ministers,” Abdullah said. He added that the lieutenant governor would set a time for the exercise, after which the expansion would take place.
Abdullah appealed to party colleagues and legislators not to approach him or National Conference president Farooq Abdullah seeking ministerial berths, saying the selections had been finalised after consultations.
“After consultations with Dr. Farooq Abdullah Sahib, the list has been finalised. There is no need to knock on Farooq Sahib's door, my door, or anyone else's door. The decision of who will become a minister is not pending; it has already been made. So, I request my colleagues to please be patient,” he said.
The chief minister urged colleagues to stop sending messages and making phone calls to lobby for positions, saying he was already familiar with their work and qualifications.
“Please stop sending WhatsApp messages. I am receiving endless, lengthy messages… entire books are being written, sending full biodatas as if I don't know who they are! I already know them and their work,” he said.
“Whatever has to happen will take place in the next two to three days,” he added.
Abdullah said he had also enquired about Sinha's health, noting that the lieutenant governor had been unwell over the previous few weeks.
“The LG Sahib has returned to Srinagar after quite a few days. In between, his health wasn't very well, so I wanted to inquire about his well-being,” he said.
Abdullah added that the two also needed to discuss several issues and exchange views from time to time.
Asked about the President of India's delegation of powers under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023, to lieutenant governors and administrators of Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the matter needed to be examined first.
The delegation concerns the establishment of State Dental Councils and regulation of local dental healthcare. Abdullah said it was necessary to determine whether the Dental Council fell under the jurisdiction of the Union government or the Union Territory under the applicable business rules.
“It would be better if you ask this question to (health minister) Sakina Itoo once she returns (from Singapore),” he said.
On Kashmiri pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia because of flight cancellations, Abdullah described the situation as a serious concern, noting that travellers from several Indian states had been affected.
He said flights were still operating but sharply increased airfares were making it difficult for passengers who had booked budget tickets to arrange alternative journeys.
The Jammu and Kashmir government would approach the Ministry of External Affairs to seek a solution, Abdullah said. If the Union government could not provide financial assistance for tickets or repatriation, his government would consider arranging funds from its own budget.
Abdullah declined to comment on reports of Chinese patrolling deviations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, saying Jammu and Kashmir no longer shared a direct border with China following Ladakh's separation from the former state.
“You should direct this question either to the LG of Ladakh or to the central government,” he said.