Srinagar, September 21, 2026: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Monday criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government over what he described as unfulfilled commitments and continuing difficulties faced by people across the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters on the opening day of the Autumn Session of the J&K Assembly, Sharma said the BJP would raise issues concerning employment, public services, workers and governance during the session. His remarks came amid protests by BJP legislators in the House over issues including NHM employees, daily wagers, electricity tariffs and water supply.
Opposition to Raise Employment and Workers’ Issues
Sharma said the BJP would raise concerns involving daily-wage workers, National Health Mission (NHM) employees, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, as well as the demand for age relaxation by J&K job aspirants.
He also raised concerns regarding outsourcing of government jobs. Sharma alleged that the process lacked transparency and called for recruitment through a clearly defined mechanism based on fixed criteria. These are allegations made by the opposition leader and were not independently established in the reports reviewed.
The Leader of Opposition also referred to unemployment and the government’s earlier employment commitments, describing youth employment as a major issue that the BJP intends to pursue during the session.
Power, Water and Basic Amenities
Sharma also criticised the government’s handling of basic public services, particularly electricity and water supply. He questioned the increase in power tariffs while, according to his claim, some areas continued to face inadequate electricity supply.
Water availability and other civic concerns were also among the issues he said the opposition would bring before the Assembly. Earlier in the day, BJP legislators raised similar concerns inside the House, with protests centred on power tariffs, NHM employees and regularisation of daily wagers.
SCOT Bank Depositors and Recruitment Concerns
Sharma further raised the issue of approximately 70,000 depositors associated with SCOT Bank and Cooperative Citizen Bank, saying they were still awaiting repayment.
He also alleged irregularities relating to recruitment and outsourcing, including claims that some positions had already been filled. The allegations were presented by Sharma as part of his criticism of the government’s employment and recruitment record.
The comments come as employment and recruitment are emerging as prominent issues during the Autumn Session. Ahead of the session, Sharma had said the BJP would seek answers from the government on commitments made to the people and issues raised during its public outreach programme.
Statehood and JJM Report
On restoration of statehood, Sharma questioned the government’s repeated reference to the absence of statehood while responding to governance-related issues. He said the BJP would continue raising public concerns in the Assembly.
Regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) report, Sharma said the BJP would examine the document before presenting a detailed position. He alleged that some JJM schemes had become non-functional and said the report contained shortcomings. These claims remain the opposition’s assertions pending independent verification.
The seven-sitting Autumn Session began on September 21 and is scheduled to continue through September 30, with government business and private members’ business listed on different days.
With the opposition signalling continued focus on employment, public services, recruitment, outsourcing and statehood, these issues are likely to remain prominent during the remaining sittings of the Assembly.
