CM Omar announces National Law University for Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the National Law University (NLU) would start from a makeshift campus in central Kashmir’s Budgam district next year.

In his address on the resolution moved by Congress MLA from Bandipora, Nizamuddin Bhat, CM Omar said that the establishment of a National Law University would prove beneficial for the local youth, even if the admissions would be done after qualifying the national level examination.

Earlier, Bhat presented a resolution in the House to impress upon the government to initiate the process of establishing the Jammu and Kashmir National Law University at Srinagar, without any further delay.

The resolution reads that the funds earmarked for the first phase were already provided.

The resolution was later passed by the Assembly by voice vote after CM Omar said his government had no objections in establishing it in Kashmir.

The CM said he was in regular touch with the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh High Court, and the Chief Secretary to decide about the permanent location for the establishment of the university.

“I will not go into where it will be established, as I won’t be discussing where the previous institutions developed. I believe whatever has been established was for J&K,” he said.

CM Omar said the proposal for the establishment of the National Law University would be discussed with all the stakeholders, as they all had a role to play.

“To begin with, the university will start functioning from April next year from Ompora, Budgam, where we have a building available which was earlier established to set up a Software Technological Park,” he said.

The CM said that the building was vacant as the Air Force earlier objected to the establishment of the Software Technology Park saying the antenna at the park could interfere with their communication system.

“So, I am hopeful that in April next year the classes will start from the rented accommodation,” he said.

CM Omar said that if the government could not find any better site, they would start the university at Budgam.