Two years into Omar Abdullah’s government, its critics have chosen familiar trenches. One side lists broken promises, the other revisits the National Conference’s old sins. Both are partisan. Neither is a ledger.A fair ledger asks three questions of every promise. Was it within his authority? If not, what did he do about it? If it was, why is there a gap? A commander answers for what lies within his command, and for what he does about the rest. Applied honestly, the test clears Omar Abdullah of some charges and convicts him of others.

The government has been honest about the cage, but not yet about the unlocked doors.Statehood, Article 370, the Public Safety Act, police and public order are not in the Chief Minister’s gift. Grading him on them grades the wrong man. A July 2024 amendment strengthened the Lieutenant Governor’s hold over police, public order, All India Services officers and prosecution sanctions. The cabinet’s business rules, approved in March 2025, remain unsettled after the LG returned them with queries. In April 2025, the LG transferred 48 JKAS officers while those rules were pending. Omar has said that SKIMS, the universities and the Power Development Corporation now sit with the unelected side.

The purse is no freer. Of the ₹1.27 lakh crore budget for 2026–27, only about ₹31,800 crore is expected from the government’s own resources. Of ₹90,018 crore in projected revenue receipts, ₹58,218 crore, about 65 per cent, is expected as central grants.On statehood, the Centre has offered no timeframe. Omar has met Amit Shah five times and been told, in effect, “at an appropriate time.” He has said the PSA will go by ordinance the day full powers return.........

© Greater Kashmir