Budgam: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has said the expansion of the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers will take place after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha returns to the Valley.
Speaking to reporters in Budgam, the former Chief Minister said the expansion had been held up because the Lt Governor was not present. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government has been expected to induct more ministers since it took office after the 2024 assembly elections.
Farooq Abdullah also said the Chief Minister had called for strict action to prevent a recurrence of recent incidents and had sought compensation for the damage caused in an attack. He said "certain miscreants" were attempting to disturb peace and that the matter required immediate attention from the authorities.
He added that the Chief Minister had urged the Central government to take cognisance of the incident, warning that the situation could deteriorate if such incidents were not addressed promptly. The National Conference heads the government in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Congress and other partners in the ruling coalition.
The council of ministers has remained small, and its expansion has been awaited for some time. The Lt Governor's office and the elected government work within the union territory's administrative framework, under which policing and several other subjects rest with the Centre.
No date was announced for the expansion. Farooq Abdullah did not specify how many ministers would be inducted or which parties would be represented.
The council of ministers has stayed small since the government took office after the 2024 assembly elections, and its expansion has been awaited for months.