Jammu, Nov 24 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said he is looking forward to a day when Jammu and Kashmir would no longer need to approach the central government for financial assistance, but instead be self-sufficient and capable of contributing to the Centre.
He expressed gratitude to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy for proposing a special group within the Ministry of Mines to fast-track mineral exploration in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the gathering during the launch of the e-auction of the first seven limestone mineral blocks of J-K here, CM Abdullah said the e-auction initiative marks a crucial step towards economic revival and sustainable development in mineral-rich but economically weaker areas of J-K.
“At least, we have limestone — and that limestone lies in areas where the economic situation is very bad,” he said.
He recalled how J-K’s mineral wealth, including the famous Neelam (sapphire) of Paddar and marble deposits, have remained commercially under-utilised for decades.
The chief minister said the initiative is aimed at increasing J-K’s own revenue, which currently stands at around Rs 500 crore from these mineral blocks.
“When more blocks are identified, I hope our earnings will grow. I look forward to the day when the chief minister of J-K will not have to go to Delhi seeking funds. On the contrary, we will be self-sufficient and capable of contributing to the Centre,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister revealed that Minister Reddy personally intervened and urged J-K to take renewed interest to complete the process. “In between, Reddy picked up the phone from Delhi and spoke to me. He asked me to push this forward so that these e-auctions are concluded successfully,” he said.
Reiterating his commitment to good governance, Abdullah said, “Our effort is to have these blocks auctioned in a transparent manner. I assure you that the J-K government will not create any obstacles.
“Instead, we will ensure that this process — and the next one — is successful. I hope this programme proves beneficial for J-K and for the entire country,” he said.
In an attempt to put an end to any speculation on the limestone block auctions, the chief minister said it is important to clarify that the Centre is only providing assistance to his government to explore the mineral wealth.
“I want to make something clear because we have a lot of political friends, and I know that if I do not clear this thing today, tomorrow through the newspaper they will try to spread information that we have given our mines to the Centre. Absolutely not… there is nothing like that,” he said.
He said the central government has offered its help to increase the earnings of Jammu and Kashmir.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary described the day as “historic,” marking a transformative step towards harnessing the mineral wealth of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the government is committed to responsibly extract the “scattered wealth hidden in the mountains of J-K,” and will soon extend e-auctioning to other high-value resources.
“Besides limestone, we are exploring all options for auctioning lithium, sapphire, and other valuable minerals. Very soon, people will hear good news about these resources,” he said.
