Making most of the altered political situation

Omar Abdullah, the scion of the first family of politicians in Jammu and Kashmir, is now in the mantle of chief minister of J&K for a second time. The political scene in J&K has never been so peculiar. As opposed to the partial autonomy of the Chief Minister in the past, the current structure of J&K, following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, as a UT has invested many of the state powers in the hands of LG. This is no different from Delhi where the Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has limited executive powers, while the LG enjoys all the authority. Like Kejriwal, even Omar is bound to find spaces for effective governance and sops in this straitjacket.

Starting in 2019, the status of J&K was degraded from a state to a Union Territory. This reorganization changed the degree of powers exercised between the Chief Minister and the LG. The LG now enjoys very extensive powers over subjects such as law and order, land policies, and other essential functions of administration that conventionally fell within the domain of the state's Chief Minister. Because of this constitutional setup, the direct authority of the CM is restricted; the post is, therefore substantially a nominal one, mainly related to areas like health, education, public works, and local governance.

However, as Kejriwal has shown in Delhi, even within such restrictions, strategic leadership, innovative policy framework, and people-centered governance can thrive. Likewise, Abdullah, with his political acumen and experience, may emulate such strategies to focus on the areas that fall within his purview to ensure tangible change in the lives of the people of J&K

Some of the Key Focus Areas for Development can be:

1. Education and Skill Development

One area in which Omar Abdullah can really make a difference pertains to education. Unemployment is high amongst the youth in J&K, and too few have access to quality education and vocational training. Kejriwal's government in Delhi did an excellent job of fixing up the public school system: focusing on teacher training, improving infrastructure, and updating curricula. Drawing from that experience, Abdullah will be able to improve the education infrastructure in J&K, particularly in rural areas. He may also focus on skill development programmes among the youth. In collaboration with private institutions and businesses, Omar Abdullah can launch vocational training programmes in areas of market requirement to enable the youth to get jobs or start their own ventures. Such schemes would go a long way in uplifting the youths and reduce the feeling of alienation rampant in parts of J&K.

2. Health Care Reforms

Development of the health sector is another such area it can be done. The Kejriwal government brought "mohalla clinics" to Delhi by providing health facilities at the doorstep reasonably and affordably. In the same way, Omar Abdullah can implement a similar model in J&K at least in far-flung and backward areas. Given the tough geographical landscape, mobile health clinics may also be useful to reach those areas that have limited accessibility to hospitals. Further, Omar Abdullah has focused on bringing improvement to the existing health infrastructure by upgrading hospital facilities, making more medicines available and deploying more healthcare professionals. This would lead to better outcomes in the form of a reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates, better management of chronic diseases, and some immediate relief for residents living in farther areas.

3. Infrastructure and Tourism Development

But with all its natural beauty, the tourism industry in J&K has received a setback due to instability and insufficient infrastructure. Drawing inspiration from the Delhi government, which put money into public transport and a tourism campaign, so can Omar Abdullah push ahead with developing the tourist infrastructure in J&K. The CM can hence advocate for improved connectivity by road, increased safety measures for tourists, and promotions of local handicrafts and culture. If he goes along with the Central Government initiatives on Tourism, that will help to re-establish the slot of J&K as one of the prime tourist destinations. Promote eco-tourism, cultural tourism, and ensure Indigenous People benefit from it: Tourist inflow - Economy - Jobs.

4. Public Services and Digital Governance

Amongst the most important and necessary works that Kejriwal has done is establishing smooth and digital governance in the public services. Digitization of public services-from online delivery of certificates to transparent grievance platforms-has reduced corruption and vested accountability. Similarly, Omar Abdullah can bring in e-governance initiatives in J&K that would help citizens access government services without going through the bureaucratic red tape. With a strong digital platform in place, Omar Abdullah will be better equipped to ensure that welfare schemes, subsidies, and other schemes under government programs reach the people for whom these were actually meant. This is going to be all the more useful in J&K, where certain areas are geographically isolated and have conventionally been under-served regarding government services.

The critical aspects of governance in J&K, as in Delhi, are the need for a constructive relationship between the CM and the LG, and the central government. While there will be political differences, no doubt, the approach has to be pragmatically constructive about development which ensures smoother cooperation. Omar Abdullah can use his experience and maturity in coordination with the center over priority developmental issues in infrastructure projects, investment in industries, expansion of digital connectivity in J&K. Priming his policies to go along with the coherence of the development agenda set by the Center for J&K opens him to greater resource availability and more considerable support for his initiatives.

Though his powers are sharply reduced as Chief Minister of a Union Territory, Omar Abdullah can still make attempts to steer and lead J&K into the path of sustained development through hard work. If he works on education, healthcare, tourism, and digital governance, emulating Arvind Kejriwal, by making limitations an opportunity, it just may be possible to forge ahead with a collaborative approach towards both the Centre as well as the LG.

With political stability, strategic governance, and people-first policies, Omar Abdullah can ensure that J&K not only catches up with the rest of India but also becomes a role model for growth and development in the region. The challenges are steep, but the opportunities for transformation are even greater.

 By: Iqra Yaseen, Senior Research Fellow, University of Kashmir.