In a bold policy move, the administration of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region has announced that the promised 200 units of free electricity for the poorest households will be delivered only after rooftop solar panel installation on those homes. According to official responses in the local Assembly, the benefit will apply exclusively to families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category—some 2.22 lakh such families. The installation will be under the national scheme PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG) via its Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA)/RESCO model. On the face…
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Waheed Para Flags Regional Bias in Caste Certificate Distribution in Jammu & Kashmir
PDP MLA Raises Alarm Over Unequal Implementation of Reservation Benefits By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 Srinagar, October 2025 — A fresh political debate has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after PDP MLA Waheed Para exposed what he described as a “deep regional divide” in the issuance of caste and social category certificates across the Union Territory. In a pointed intervention during the Legislative Assembly session, Para cited official figures provided by the Revenue Department, revealing striking differences between Jammu and Kashmir divisions in the granting of Scheduled Caste…
Read More‘Silence Is Complicity’: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah Over Cross-Voting Mystery in Rajya Sabha Polls
People Deserve to Know Who Cross-Voted”: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah’s Silence By: Javid Amin | 26 October 2025 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament known for his blunt style, publicly demanded full disclosure from party chief Omar Abdullah on Friday, escalating internal tensions after the controversial Rajya Sabha vote that handed the BJP one seat beyond its legislative strength. “If you know who cross-voted, say it. People deserve to know. Silence is complicity,” Ruhullah wrote on social media in response to Omar’s earlier statement claiming all…
Read More‘Manifesto = Bundle of Lies’: Tarun Chugh’s Broadside at NC in Jammu & Kashmir
Tarun Chugh blasts NC manifesto as “bundle of lies” | J&K politics 2025 By: Javid Amin | 23 October 2025 A Scathing Attack in the Midst of Political Jostling In a sharp political intervention, Tarun Chugh, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, accused the NC of failing to deliver a single promise from its manifesto. Chugh described the party’s electoral commitments as nothing but a “bundle of lies”. This accusation comes at a time of heightened tension in J&K’s political…
Read MoreNC Courts PDP to Secure Rajya Sabha Sweep in J&K — Land Rights at the Center of the Deal
A New Equation in Old Rivalries By: Javid Amin | 22 October 2025 The political chessboard of Jammu & Kashmir has once again shifted. The National Conference (NC), led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has reached out to its long-time rival, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for crucial support in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The goal is straightforward — to secure a clean sweep of all four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory. But beneath the surface, the talks signal something more profound: the…
Read MoreFaith, Faction, and the Ballot: Three ‘Aga’ Candidates Lock Horns in Budgam Bypoll 2025
With NC, PDP, and BJP fielding Aga candidates, the contest transcends party lines—testing loyalties, legacies, and the future of Shia representation. By: Javid Amin | 21 October 2025 An Unprecedented Political Triangle in Central Kashmir The upcoming Budgam Assembly by-election, scheduled for November 11, 2025, has taken an extraordinary turn — not because of its high-profile parties, but because of its unusually personal political dynamics. For the first time in Kashmir’s electoral history, three prominent candidates from the same Shia clerical lineage — all bearing the title “Aga” — are…
Read MoreOmar Abdullah Vows to Revoke Public Safety Act After J&K Statehood Restoration
Omar Abdullah Vows to Scrap PSA After J&K Statehood Restoration By: Javid Amin | 18 October 2025 A Defining Promise for Post-UT J&K In a politically charged statement, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has vowed to revoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) immediately after the restoration of statehood. The announcement, made during a press conference in Srinagar on October 18, 2025, has sent ripples across political and civil society circles. It is one of the most direct commitments by any mainstream leader in J&K in recent years…
Read MoreElectrifying U-Turn: Omar Abdullah’s Prepaid Meter Push Sparks Public Outrage
Where Has the Free Electricity Promise Gone? By: Javid Amin | 17 October 2025 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government is under fire after announcing a full-scale rollout of prepaid smart electricity meters across Jammu & Kashmir — a move sharply contrasting with his 2024 election promise of providing 200 units of free electricity per month to poor households. The announcement has unleashed a wave of anger and disillusionment, with opposition parties branding it a “betrayal of the poor” and civil society groups accusing the administration of “digitalizing hardship under the…
Read MoreJ&K’s Roads Claim More Lives Than Anywhere in the Country: A Deep Dive Into a Growing Public Safety Crisis
A Deadly Road Reality in Jammu & Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 Every year, the picturesque valleys and rugged mountains of Jammu and Kashmir attract millions of tourists, yatris, and pilgrims. But beneath the scenic beauty lies a grim reality: J&K’s roads are among the deadliest in the country. A recent study has revealed that the Union Territory records nearly double the national average in road accident fatalities, outpacing many larger states with far denser populations. Between 2019 and October 2024, 4,899 lives were lost and 40,065…
Read MoreOmar Abdullah Urges PM Modi: ‘Restore Statehood to Solve J&K’s Challenges’
On the first anniversary of the NC-led government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a direct and passionate appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 A Direct Appeal to Delhi On the first anniversary of his government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a pointed and emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union Government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a town hall event in Srinagar, Omar declared: “We…
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