*Omar-led govt putting every effort to restore J&K statehood, special status: Deputy CM*

Srinagar, Jun 24 Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday said that the Omar Abdullah-led government has been putting hectic efforts to ensure restoration of statehood and special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Surinder Choudhary, per news agency— expressed gratitude to PM Modi, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the approval of 19 key road and tunnel projects worth Rs 10. 637 crore for Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the projects have been approved by Centre after hectic efforts by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “In 8 months of our tenure, the Chief Minister after visiting Delhi multiple times has made the approval of these key projects possible for J&K. He is not among the Chief Ministers who visited Delhi for downgrading of erstwhile J&K state to Union Territory. The approval of these projects show the seriousness of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,” he said.

He said the government led is putting sincere efforts to ensure the restoration of statehood and J&K’s special status. He also lashed out at the BJP, stating that none among them has won recent assembly elections on their own. “The narco test of all the BJP MLAs including the Leader of Opposition needs to be conducted to ascertain the veracity of their statements,” he said.

Reacting to demands for bunkers in border areas, he said the approval has to be given by the Centre. “We hope it will be done shortly,” he said, adding that as witnessed in the ‘Operation Sindoor’, Jammu and Srinagar also felt the impact, thus the need for such bunkers is not confined to border areas only—