Omar Abdullah’s First Year in Power: Unmet Promises | Rising Discontent in Jammu & Kashmir

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Omar Abdullah’s First Year in Power: Unmet Promises | Rising Discontent in Jammu & Kashmir

A Year After the Oath: Hopes Deferred in Jammu & Kashmir

By: Javid Amin | 08 October 2025 | Srinagar

Exactly a year ago, a new chapter was supposed to unfold in Jammu & Kashmir.
On a crisp autumn morning, Omar Abdullah—scion of one of Kashmir’s most prominent political families and vice president of the National Conference—took oath as Chief Minister.

His return was not just a personal comeback. It was projected as the beginning of a political renewal—a chance to reclaim dignity, identity, and development after years of administrative rule and uncertainty that followed the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

But today, as the NC-led government marks its first anniversary, the optimism that once echoed in town halls, rallies, and drawing rooms across the Valley has given way to growing discontent. From power cuts to policy paralysis, a narrative of unmet promises is taking shape.

The 2024 Manifesto: A Blueprint of Hope

In the run-up to the 2024 elections, the National Conference unveiled its manifesto titled “Dignity, Identity and Development”—a carefully worded document aimed at healing old wounds and rekindling public trust.

At its core were 12 major guarantees:

  1. Restoration of J&K’s political and legal status as it existed on August 4, 2019.

  2. A comprehensive youth employment package.

  3. 200 units of free electricity per household.

  4. 12 free LPG cylinders annually per family.

  5. ₹5,000 monthly stipend for poor women.

  6. Free education for girls up to university level and boys up to college level.

  7. ₹5 lakh medical insurance for terminal illnesses.

  8. Crackdown on drug abuse.

  9. Tourism expansion in Pir Panjal and Chenab regions.

  10. Development of industrial parks and SEZs.

  11. Agriculture and horticulture upliftment.

  12. Urban decongestion in Srinagar and Jammu.

These were not just policy promises—they were emotional commitments to a people long frustrated with broken pledges and shrinking democratic space.

Yet, 12 months later, independent fact-checks, interviews with civil society, bureaucratic data, and media reports paint a picture of ambitious announcements with minimal execution.

Electricity Crisis: Promises Fizzled, Darkness Deepened

One of the loudest campaign guarantees was 200 units of free electricity for every household, a pledge that struck a chord in a region notorious for harsh winters and unreliable power supply.

However, as winter approaches again, nothing has changed on the ground. Chronic power cuts continue to disrupt life, particularly in rural districts like Shopian, Kupwara, and Kulgam.

“We were told our homes would be warmer this winter. Instead, we’re back to melting snow for water,” says Mehraj, a resident of Shopian.

Ground Reality Check:

  • No formal government order has been issued to roll out the free unit scheme.

  • According to internal data from the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), winter preparedness remains largely unchanged from previous years.

  • Power curtailment schedules in rural areas remain 14 to 18 hours daily in peak winter.

Fact Check: While the government inaugurated new transformers and feeder lines, these were part of projects sanctioned under the previous LG administration, not new schemes linked to the manifesto.

Public Perception: Growing anger. Social media hashtags like #PowerCrisisKashmir have seen a surge since September 2025.

Education and Welfare: Big Announcements, Zero Rollout

Education was framed as the “heart” of the welfare agenda.
The manifesto promised free education for girls up to university level and for boys up to college level—a move expected to boost female enrollment and ease the financial burden on low-income families.

Yet, one year later:

  • No government circular or order has been issued to implement the scheme.

  • Schools and colleges continue to charge tuition and examination fees.

  • A proposed education stipend portal, announced in April, remains in testing mode with no live beneficiaries.

Similarly, the much-touted ₹5,000 monthly stipend for poor women has remained a campaign slogan without budgetary allocation.

“We were told there will be financial help for single mothers like me. All I see are headlines, not schemes,” says Shabnam Bano from downtown Srinagar.

Fact Check:

  • No scheme under the Finance Department or Social Welfare Department has been launched in this regard.

  • Welfare funds remain at pre-2024 levels.

Political Fallout: Opposition parties are using this as a symbol of NC’s credibility gap—loud promises, little delivery.

Youth Employment: A Law That Never Came

Perhaps the most crucial issue in today’s Jammu & Kashmir is youth unemployment. With over 22% youth joblessness, the region has one of the highest unemployment rates in India.

The government promised to table the “J&K Youth Employment Generation Act” within three months of assuming power—a legal framework aimed at creating direct public sector jobs and incentivizing private hiring.

Twelve months later:

  • No such Act has been tabled in the Assembly.

  • A few job fairs were organized, but most were limited to information stalls, not actual recruitments.

  • Hiring in the public sector remains frozen due to pending court cases and administrative bottlenecks.

“We voted for jobs, not just job portals,” says Aamir, a postgraduate from Baramulla.

Fact Check:

  • Official recruitment data shows no significant increase in hiring over the last 12 months.

  • Of the 55,000 jobs promised, only about 1,200 positions have seen recruitment advertisements.

Sentiment Shift: Youth activists and student bodies are now among the most vocal critics of the Omar government.

Health Insurance: ₹5 Lakh Dream Remains on Paper

A medical insurance trust offering ₹5 lakh coverage for patients suffering from terminal illnesses like cancer and heart disease was one of the most emotionally resonant promises in Omar Abdullah’s campaign.

Reality check:

  • No trust has been legally constituted.

  • Hospitals continue to refer patients to private facilities, often outside the region.

  • Families continue to rely on personal loans or charity to fund treatment.

“When my father was diagnosed with cancer, I thought this insurance would save us. But nothing exists,” says Feroza, a resident of Kupwara.

Fact Check:

  • No notifications have been issued by the Health & Medical Education Department.

  • Existing coverage remains limited to the national Ayushman Bharat scheme, with multiple coverage gaps.

Drug Menace: Crackdown or Cover-up?

Drug addiction is a growing crisis in Jammu & Kashmir, with officials estimating over 70,000 active substance users, mostly between 17 and 33 years old.

Omar Abdullah had promised a comprehensive crackdown on the drug menace through a rehabilitation plus enforcement strategy.

However, reports from NGOs and law enforcement suggest:

  • Token raids and seizures, but no systematic rehabilitation expansion.

  • Drug de-addiction centers remain overcrowded and underfunded.

  • Coordination between civil society groups and state agencies is minimal.

“We’ve been working in de-addiction for a decade. This government hasn’t even called us for a single consultative meeting,” says Dr. Shazia, a de-addiction specialist in Srinagar.

Fact Check:

  • No new rehabilitation centers have been set up in the past year.

  • Arrest data shows minor seizures, but no big cartel network has been dismantled.

Perception: Growing frustration among healthcare workers, activists, and families of victims.

Tourism and Industry: Ribbons Without Roots

Tourism and industry were positioned as economic engines of the new administration. Omar Abdullah personally inaugurated projects like:

  • Gulmarg Convention Centre

  • Synthetic sports tracks in Ganderbal

  • “Green Routes” for eco-tourism

But beneath the ceremonies, ground reports show:

  • Most of these projects were conceptualized and funded under the previous LG administration.

  • No major new investment proposals have been cleared.

  • Private stakeholders cite bureaucratic delays and policy ambiguity as reasons for slow tourism infrastructure growth.

“This is not governance—it’s ribbon-cutting on someone else’s work,” wrote columnist Mudasir Dar in a scathing editorial in September 2025.

Fact Check:

  • Tourism arrivals did increase slightly (8%) compared to last year, but no direct link to new policies could be established.

  • Industrial SEZ plans remain in file review stages.

Agriculture & Horticulture: Forgotten Sectors

Agriculture and horticulture are the backbone of J&K’s rural economy, employing nearly 70% of the population.
The manifesto promised “upliftment through modern irrigation, subsidies, and crop insurance.”

Reality:

  • Farmers continue to face irrigation shortages and market access barriers.

  • No new subsidy schemes or insurance frameworks have been announced.

  • Farmers in Pir Panjal and Chenab report declining yields and increasing costs.

“We were expecting cold storage facilities and fair prices. We got speeches,” says Bashir Ahmad, an apple grower from Shopian.

Fact Check:

  • Crop insurance penetration remains below 10%.

  • Apple procurement rates have stagnated for three consecutive years.

Urban Decongestion: Still Gridlocked

Traffic congestion in Srinagar and Jammu remains a daily ordeal.
The manifesto promised “a new urban mobility blueprint” with flyovers, bypasses, and smart traffic systems.

A year later:

  • No new flyover or bypass has been announced.

  • Public transport remains chaotic, and urban planning projects are stuck in tendering phases.

  • Flood mitigation and drainage projects, essential to urban planning, are behind schedule.

“The government talks about ‘smart cities’ but we can’t even cross Lal Chowk in less than 45 minutes during peak hours,” says Sameer, an office worker in Srinagar.

Fact Check:

  • Urban Development Department data shows zero new major infrastructure projects initiated in 2025.

  • Previous LG-era projects are still incomplete.

Political Appropriation: Old Projects, New Ribbons

A recurring criticism across sectors is political appropriation—claiming credit for projects initiated before Omar Abdullah’s tenure.

  • Water supply schemes launched under Jal Jeevan Mission were inaugurated anew.

  • Tourism centers funded during LG rule were rebranded as NC achievements.

  • Power upgrades under previous Rural Electrification Programmes were portrayed as fresh starts.

This has damaged public trust and allowed opposition parties to corner the government politically.

Public Sentiment: From Hope to Disillusionment

In the initial months, many Kashmiris embraced this government with cautious optimism. Voter turnout had reached record highs in some districts, with people rejecting boycott politics and choosing ballots over silence.

But today, the mood on the ground has shifted:

“We rejected boycott politics and chose ballots. But what did we get? A year of excuses,” says Adil, a youth activist from Pulwama.

  • Voter groups report a decline in public participation in NC rallies.

  • Civil society leaders speak of a widening gap between announcements and action.

  • Social media, once supportive, is now dominated by satirical memes and angry hashtags.

Opposition & Civil Society: Turning Up the Heat

Opposition parties, NGOs, and policy analysts are increasingly vocal in their criticism.

  • The PDP has accused Omar Abdullah of running a “headline government”—focused on optics, not outcomes.

  • The BJP claims NC has “failed to deliver on its tall promises,” particularly on infrastructure and jobs.

  • Civil society groups are calling for mid-term course correction before disillusionment deepens further.

Political analysts argue this trust deficit could define the next election cycle, especially among the youth—a demographic that gave NC its 2024 victory.

Governance vs. Reality: Why Promises Failed

Why did so many promises fail to materialize?
Experts point to three key reasons:

  1. Fiscal Constraints:

    • The budget deficit has widened due to sluggish revenue recovery post-pandemic.

    • Multiple welfare promises lacked financial backing from day one.

  2. Bureaucratic Bottlenecks:

    • With many senior administrative posts occupied by central officers, decision-making has slowed.

    • Implementation capacity at the district level remains weak.

  3. Political Overreach vs. Practicality:

    • Some promises—like legal restoration of pre-2019 status—fall outside the UT’s constitutional remit, making them symbolic at best.

Looking Ahead: Year Two of the Omar Abdullah Government

As the government enters its second year, the pressure is mounting—from the opposition, civil society, and the very electorate that gave Omar Abdullah his mandate.

Potential policy pivots under discussion include:

  • A phased rollout of free electricity for BPL households first.

  • Targeted employment packages linked to local industries.

  • Launch of public-private partnerships in health insurance.

  • Revival of urban planning blueprints for Srinagar and Jammu.

The Chief Minister’s recent media interactions indicate a willingness to “course correct,” but the window for political redemption is shrinking fast.

Bottom-Line: A Year of Missed Opportunities

“Governments are judged not by their speeches, but by the lives they change.”

Omar Abdullah’s first year in power was meant to be a turning point for Jammu & Kashmir—a promise to reverse years of administrative stagnation and political alienation.

Instead, it has become a case study in unfulfilled commitments:

  • Free power and education remain on paper.

  • Employment remains a distant hope.

  • Infrastructure stands still.

  • Trust, the most fragile currency in Kashmir, is eroding again.

The second year will be decisive—for Omar Abdullah, his party, and perhaps for the political future of Kashmir itself.

Key Data Summary

Sector Promise Status (Oct 2025) Ground Reality Summary
Power 200 free units ❌ Not started Chronic power cuts, no official notification issued.
Education & Women Welfare Free education + ₹5,000 stipend ❌ Not implemented No budgetary allocation, schools continue charging fees.
Employment Youth Employment Act ❌ Not tabled High unemployment, symbolic job fairs.
Health Insurance ₹5 lakh coverage ❌ No scheme Patients bear out-of-pocket expenses.
Drug Abuse Crackdown ⚠️ Minimal No new rehab centers, weak enforcement.
Tourism & Industry Expansion ⚠️ Cosmetic Ribbon-cutting on previous projects, no major investment.
Agriculture & Horticulture Upliftment ❌ No action Irrigation, pricing, insurance remain weak.
Urban Decongestion Flyovers, mobility ❌ No blueprint Traffic congestion worsening, zero new projects.

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