Omar Abdullah Government Completes Two Years: Welfare Gains, Unfulfilled Promises Put NC Under Pressure

Omar Abdullah Government Completes 2 Years: NC Manifesto Promises Reviewed

By: News Desk | 15 October 2026

Srinagar: Two years after the National Conference (NC) returned to power in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government is entering its third year with a mixed record—some welfare measures have moved forward, while several major political and economic commitments remain incomplete, narrowed in scope or awaiting tangible results.

The government, which took office on October 16, 2024, came to power on a manifesto promising constitutional restoration, employment, affordable electricity, social welfare and relief for economically weaker households. As the administration marks its second anniversary, the key question is no longer simply what it promised, but how much of that agenda has reached people on the ground.

There have been measurable steps. Free travel for women on government-operated buses began in April 2025, social-security pensions were enhanced, and the government approved six free LPG refills annually for eligible Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households in September 2026. It has also secured approval for a targeted 200-unit free-electricity scheme for AAY families.

But these measures do not amount to fulfilment of every original promise. The NC’s wider pledges on electricity, jobs, constitutional change and political detainees remain subject to significant limitations, while the long-pending regularisation of daily-wage and temporary workers continues to test public confidence. Reporting on the government’s second anniversary has highlighted this gap between announced initiatives and complete delivery. (Hindustan Times; Kashmir News Observer)

Welfare Measures Offer the Government Some Concrete Gains

Welfare initiatives form one of the more tangible parts of the government’s record. Unlike constitutional changes and large-scale job creation, these measures can be assessed through policy orders, eligibility rules and benefits delivered to households.

Free Bus Travel for Women

The government introduced free travel for women on government-operated public transport from April 1, 2025. The scheme covers Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation services and government-operated Smart City buses, including electric buses in Jammu and Srinagar. The initiative was formally launched by Omar Abdullah on the same date. (The Indian Express)

The measure can reduce routine travel expenses for women commuting to workplaces, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and markets. Its broader impact, however, depends on factors such as bus availability, route coverage, frequency and accessibility, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Assessment: Implemented. The next test is the quality, reach and reliability of the service rather than the announcement itself.

Social-Security Pensions Enhanced

The government increased monthly pensions under social-assistance programmes for eligible elderly people, widows and persons with disabilities. Under the revised structure announced in the 2025–26 Budget, the monthly amount was set at ₹1,250 for beneficiaries below 60, ₹1,500 for those aged 60 to below 80, and ₹2,000 for those aged 80 and above.

The 2026–27 Budget reported that the number of elderly people, widows and persons with disabilities receiving social pensions rose from 7.35 lakh in March 2024 to 10.19 lakh in January 2026. It also put the annual pension outlay at ₹1,755 crore, up from ₹1,209 crore. (J&K Budget 2025–26; Kashmir Life)

These figures indicate an expansion in financial assistance and coverage. Yet pension adequacy remains a separate question: recipients must manage food, medicine, housing and other expenses with modest monthly payments.

Assessment: Implemented and expanded, although the adequacy of benefits remains open to debate.

Ration Support and LPG Relief

Food security has remained a prominent part of the government’s welfare agenda. The 2025–26 Budget announced an additional 10 kilograms of free ration per month for eligible AAY beneficiaries, alongside other measures intended to support poorer households. (Akashvani News)

The government also approved the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Free LPG Scheme in September 2026. Under the scheme, eligible AAY households are to receive six free domestic LPG refills annually for four years. The September 24 approval was followed by a government order, while detailed implementation arrangements were to be issued separately. (The Tribune)

There is, however, an important distinction between approval and full delivery. The LPG scheme is a targeted benefit for AAY households, not a universal entitlement for every family in Jammu and Kashmir. It also falls short of the NC’s election promise of 12 free cylinders annually for eligible economically weaker households.

Assessment: Ration support has advanced; the six-cylinder LPG scheme has been approved, but its rollout and actual delivery need to be evaluated separately. The benefit is narrower than the manifesto pledge.

Article 370: Political Commitment, Constitutional Reality

Restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status was among the National Conference’s most prominent election promises. The party’s 2024 manifesto also referred to Article 35A and changes to the legal framework created by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.

Two years into the government’s tenure, Article 370 has not been restored. The constitutional position remains unchanged, and the elected administration has not secured the changes sought by the party.

The Assembly adopted a resolution in November 2024 seeking restoration of constitutional guarantees and the protection of Jammu and Kashmir’s identity. Such resolutions can express the elected legislature’s political position, but they do not, by themselves, reverse constitutional changes or restore provisions removed in 2019.

The distinction matters when measuring performance. The NC can point to its continued political advocacy and the Assembly resolution as evidence that it has pursued the issue. Critics can equally point out that the promised constitutional restoration has not occurred.

Assessment: Unfulfilled in terms of the promised outcome. Political advocacy and legislative resolutions are steps in the process, not constitutional restoration itself.

Statehood Restoration Remains the Biggest Political Test

Statehood is arguably the most consequential unresolved political issue facing the Omar Abdullah government.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly raised the demand with the Union Government, arguing that Jammu and Kashmir should regain the status it lost following the 2019 reorganisation. The Assembly also adopted a resolution seeking the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood in September 2026.

Despite these efforts, Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory. The elected government therefore continues to operate within an administrative structure in which important powers are divided between the elected executive and the Lieutenant Governor-led establishment.

That arrangement affects how the government is judged. The NC argues that the Union Territory framework restricts its ability to fulfil certain commitments and limits its control over key administrative areas. The opposition, however, maintains that these constraints cannot explain every delay in implementing promises that fall within the elected government’s available powers.

Statehood is not simply a symbolic demand. Its restoration would reshape the constitutional and administrative relationship between the elected government and the Union authorities. But the process depends on decisions beyond the control of the J&K Cabinet alone.

Assessment: Pending. The Assembly resolution and political engagement demonstrate continued pursuit of the demand, but full statehood has not been restored.

Free Electricity: A Promise Narrowed to Targeted Relief

The promise of 200 units of free electricity remains one of the most closely watched elements of the NC manifesto.

The original commitment was framed broadly, but the government subsequently focused on providing the benefit to economically weaker households because of the financial and infrastructure challenges involved in a wider rollout.

In February 2026, the Union Government approved a project to provide 200 free units of electricity to approximately 2.23 lakh AAY families under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’s Utility Led Aggregation model. The project is intended to use solar power to deliver the benefit to eligible households. (The Indian Express)

Omar Abdullah has defended the approach, saying the government intends to fulfil its promise through available means and expand assistance as financial conditions permit. He has also argued that the commitment was to provide free electricity, not to guarantee that power tariffs would never rise. (JK News Service, August 24, 2026)

The targeted project is a significant policy step, but it is not equivalent to a universal 200-unit entitlement. The government’s performance must ultimately be measured by how many eligible households receive the benefit, when the installations and service become operational, and whether the scheme expands beyond AAY families.

The wider power agenda also includes concerns over electricity tariffs, supply reliability, drinking-water access and the Union Territory’s share of hydropower benefits. Recent reporting indicates that several of these commitments remain at different stages of implementation. (Kashmir Observer)

Assessment: Partially advanced, but the original broader promise remains incompletely fulfilled. Approval of a targeted scheme should not be described as universal implementation.

Employment: Recruitment Activity Has Yet to Settle Public Anxiety

Employment remains one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most pressing economic and political concerns, particularly among educated young people who have spent years preparing for competitive examinations.

The government has pointed to recruitment activity and efforts to fill vacant posts. During the 2026 Budget session, Omar Abdullah said the administration was working to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts during the year. Recruitment, however, takes time, and announcements about vacancies are not the same as appointments completed or jobs created across the wider economy. (The Tribune)

The NC’s wider employment commitments also need to be assessed against actual recruitment figures, the time taken to complete selection processes, the number of appointments made and the availability of opportunities outside government service.

Public frustration is fuelled not only by unemployment but also by uncertainty surrounding recruitment examinations, selection lists and the future of temporary workers. Government recruitment can offer secure employment to a limited number of candidates, but it cannot by itself resolve the region’s broader jobs challenge.

A comprehensive assessment would require verified figures showing posts advertised, examinations completed, appointment orders issued and candidates who actually joined service during the two-year period.

Assessment: Recruitment activity is under way, but full delivery of the employment agenda has not been demonstrated by the information available. The government needs to show results through verified appointment and employment data.

Daily Wagers: Regularisation Still Awaits a Durable Settlement

The future of daily-rated workers, casual labourers and other temporary employees remains a major test of the government’s promise to provide greater job security.

Many of these workers say they have served government departments for years without the stability, benefits or career security enjoyed by regular employees. Their demands have continued across successive administrations, making the issue a long-standing governance problem rather than one created by the current government alone.

In February 2026, Omar Abdullah told the Assembly that the government would begin the regularisation process for daily-rated, ad hoc and other temporary employees during the 2026–27 financial year, in a phased manner and subject to legal and financial feasibility. The administration also said a high-powered committee was examining the issue. (Hindustan Times)

The commitment is important, but workers are looking for more than assurances. They need clarity on eligibility, the number of workers covered, the legal framework, the sequence of implementation and a credible timeline.

Regularisation also raises legal and financial questions, particularly where appointments were made without standard recruitment procedures. Any solution must be legally sustainable, transparent and fair to workers as well as candidates who entered recruitment through formal selection processes.

Assessment: Pending a comprehensive settlement. The government has acknowledged the issue and announced a process, but the central promise will be judged by concrete orders and implementation.

PSA and Political Detainees: The Gap Between Advocacy and Action

The NC’s 2024 manifesto included commitments relating to political prisoners, constitutional protections and the Public Safety Act (PSA). These issues carry particular political significance in Jammu and Kashmir, where preventive detention and the treatment of political detainees remain sensitive public concerns.

The party has continued to advocate political and constitutional changes, but no comprehensive fulfilment of these manifesto commitments is established by the public evidence reviewed for this assessment.

It is important to distinguish between demands for release, review of individual cases, repeal of a law and changes to detention practices. Each involves different legal and administrative steps. A resolution or public statement does not automatically result in a detainee’s release or the repeal of legislation.

The Union Territory’s institutional structure also complicates the question of responsibility. The elected government does not control every aspect of law enforcement and security administration, and the precise authority over a particular case can depend on the legal framework and circumstances involved.

Nevertheless, the political significance of the pledge remains. The government will face continued questions over what it has formally sought, what decisions it can take itself and what action it has requested from the Union authorities.

Assessment: Comprehensive delivery has not been established. A reliable verdict would require case-specific records, official orders and a clear account of the steps taken on the manifesto’s detention-related commitments.

Tourism and Development: Progress Needs to Be Measured Against Outcomes

Tourism remains central to Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, supporting hotels, houseboats, transport operators, guides, handicraft sellers, restaurants and many small businesses. Promoting the sector is therefore an important part of the region’s economic agenda.

The government has highlighted development initiatives and tourism-related activity as part of its performance record. But the existence of promotional campaigns or infrastructure announcements does not, on its own, demonstrate the scale of economic gains.

A credible assessment should examine visitor numbers, occupancy rates, tourism-related employment, business revenues, the geographical distribution of visitors and the extent to which local communities benefit. It should also account for seasonality and disruptions that can affect travel demand.

The same standard applies to healthcare, education and infrastructure. New facilities and budget allocations are relevant, but outcomes depend on staffing, operational readiness, service quality and whether residents experience a measurable improvement.

Assessment: Ongoing activity is evident, but claims of significant progress should be supported by comparable official data on tourism, investment and public-service outcomes.

The NC’s Defence: Limited Powers, but Not a Blanket Explanation

The National Conference argues that its government is operating under constraints that did not apply in the same way when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state. Statehood, it maintains, would provide a stronger institutional basis for pursuing the party’s political and administrative agenda.

That argument has substance in areas where authority rests with the Union Government or where constitutional changes require action beyond the J&K Cabinet. The restoration of statehood and Article 370, for example, cannot be delivered through routine departmental decisions.

But the Union Territory framework does not eliminate the need for accountability. Welfare schemes, recruitment administration, implementation of approved benefits and the preparation of workable policies still require clear timelines, transparent rules and public reporting.

The most useful test is therefore promise by promise: which commitments are within the elected government’s authority, which depend on New Delhi, which have been formally approved, and which have reached beneficiaries?

Such a distinction avoids two extremes—holding the elected government responsible for every decision beyond its control, or accepting institutional constraints as a blanket explanation for every unfinished commitment.

Opposition Criticism Centres on Delivery

Opposition parties, including the BJP and other regional political groups, have criticised the government over delays in fulfilling its election promises. Their concerns have included electricity relief, employment, worker regularisation, land and job protections, and the pace of progress on statehood.

The BJP has also challenged the government over the difference between the NC’s promise of 12 free LPG cylinders annually and the six-cylinder scheme approved for AAY households. The issue triggered a debate in the Assembly after the government announced approval of the targeted scheme in September 2026. (The New Indian Express)

The criticism reflects a broader political question: whether the government is delivering the scale of relief and change that voters were led to expect in 2024.

At the same time, opposition claims should also be assessed against official records and the inherited condition of public services. Long-standing problems in employment, power supply and temporary government employment predate the current administration. That history does not absolve the present government of responsibility, but it matters when evaluating what can reasonably be attributed to two years of policy.

NC Manifesto Scorecard After Two Years

The following scorecard distinguishes between measures implemented, targeted schemes approved, ongoing processes and commitments whose promised outcomes remain unrealised. It is an assessment of publicly reported progress, not an official government audit.

What the Government Must Show in Its Third Year

As Omar Abdullah’s government enters its third year, the public debate is likely to shift further from announcements to implementation. The administration has welfare measures it can point to, including free bus travel for women, enhanced pensions and targeted support for the poorest households. These are tangible initiatives, although their reach and effectiveness must continue to be measured.

The larger political and economic promises are more difficult to evaluate. Statehood and constitutional restoration depend on decisions beyond the elected government alone, while employment and worker regularisation require measurable progress within legal and financial constraints. The free-electricity pledge, meanwhile, will remain under scrutiny until the promised benefit reaches eligible households at the scale and on the terms voters were led to expect.

The government could strengthen public confidence by publishing a clear annual manifesto-tracking report with scheme-wise budgets, implementation orders, beneficiary numbers, recruitment figures and realistic timelines for pending commitments. It should distinguish between promises fulfilled, schemes approved but not yet fully operational, and goals that remain dependent on the Union Government.

Two years is not the end of a five-year mandate. But it is enough time for voters to begin asking sharper questions about delivery.

For the National Conference, the challenge is to demonstrate that its welfare record can grow into a broader programme of economic relief, employment and political progress. For the opposition, the task is to substantiate criticism against verifiable outcomes rather than political rhetoric alone.

The central verdict remains mixed: the Omar Abdullah government has delivered some welfare measures, but several of the NC’s most prominent manifesto commitments remain incomplete, narrowed in scope or awaiting demonstrable results. Its performance in the third year will be judged increasingly by what changes in people’s daily lives—not only by what is promised, announced or passed in the Assembly.