JAMMU, Feb. 6 -- Nearly six and a half years on since Article 370 was revoked, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reiterated on the floor of the legislative assembly that his government remains committed to restoring special status. Winding up discussion on motion of thanks on LG's address, the chief minister asserted that though statehood remains a core issue for his government, it has not buried the special status under the hatchet. "The NC government remains committed to restoring the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370, though rendered hollow, still remains embedded in the Constitution and has not been removed. The day BJP government removed it from the Constitution, we will bring a resolution in this House on the very next day for its restoration," Abdullah said On August 5, 2019, the BJP government had nullified Article 370 and bifurcated erstwhile state of J&K into two UTs-Ladakh without legislature and J&K with legislature. Article 370 guaranteed special status, separate constitution and a separate flag to J&K. "I want to reiterate that the National Conference and this government remain committed to the promises made during the elections, particularly the promise to restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir," he said during his marathon speech that lasted over an hour. "We do not consider it necessary to explicitly mention Article 370 because it has not been removed from the Constitution. Had it been removed, I would have said it must be reinserted. It still exists. You hollowed it and snatched away our constitutional status," he said. Some opposition members had criticised that Article 370 was not explicitly mentioned in the LG's address. "While statehood remains our topmost demand, the LoP will ask why Article 370 hasn't been mentioned in the address. That is, because Article 370 has not been removed from the constitution as yet. Had it been removed, I would have demanded that it should be brought back but it's still there in the constitution, though you (BJP) rendered it hollow," he added. The CM recalled how Centre had snatched special status in August 2019. "Since Article 370 is still there, we say that special status should be restored under it. That's why this House had passed a resolution in the very first session of the legislative assembly", he added. The CM said that Article 370 continues to remain on the statute books and hoped that it will be restored. Yet again the CM felt the pangs of heading a union territory due to the dual power system where LG has the authority to take final call on issues pertaining to governance. "I candidly agree that working in a UT is very difficult. I really fear the man who invented this UT model. I appeal to the PM that if he has to give a gift then abolish this system. If UT status becomes mandatory then better don't have a legislature with it and if UT is not required then make it a state. It's a betrayal to the people's mandate," he said. The chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of the finance department, recalled how transfer order of J&K's finance secretary were issued when UT was preparing for its budget for 2026-27 fiscal. "We were preparing our budget and I got news from social media that our financial secretary gets transferred to Delhi with immediate effect. This is the sorry state of affairs. We are thankful that our chief secretary took up the matter and we managed to retain him here till February 9," he said. Omar is scheduled to present his second budget in a row on Friday. He also exuded confidence that business rules will be amended and ratified for ease of business in the assembly. The CM again raked up the MBBS admission row that eventually led to de-recognition of the first batch of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi medical college. "I was surprised even today that a medical college was shut in Jammu just because of the fact that there were 42 Muslim students in the first batch. If you didn't want Muslim students then you should have got a minority status to the institute. Now you want National Law University (NLU) but what if Muslims get admission on merit there as well," he said. "My information says that Rs 300 crore has been invested in the medical college. I request the BJP to get it minority status. No problem if Muslim students won't be able to study there but don't shut it because a medical college produces doctors, who will serve the people of J&K," On the amended reservation policy that awaits nod from the home ministry, the CM said that since the home minister would be reaching Jammu on Thursday, he would take up the matter and seek its clearance. On SASCI (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment) scheme, he expressed gratitude to PM, HM and FM for extending it to UTs, including J&K, Puducherry from this year. He also accused the BJP of meddling into various power projects in Kishtwar for the engagement of workers, contracts, and vehicles. The CM also referred to "media gag" by the administration in Jammu and Kashmir "We talk about democracy but then harass media persons. It becomes indispensable to keep the fourth pillar alive for a healthy democracy," he said. He went on to slam the government for profiling of mosques and Imams in Jammu and Kashmir. "I fail to understand what prompted profiling and why. And, when journalists write about this, you call them to police stations. This is not fair, shooting the messengers is not acceptable. A journalist simply wrote about delayed snow clearance and he was asked to sit in a police station for six hours," he said. The CM also referred to his initiatives at the north zone CMs' conference in presence of home minister where he had demanded that the disturbing trend of attacks and harassment of Kashmiris should stop immediately as "it would cause alienation." "Tonight the home minister is reaching Jammu and I will reiterate this with him," he added. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that his government has approved the allotment of five 'marlas' of land on a 40-year lease basis to landless families affected by natural calamities in 2025. "More than 6,400 families hit by flash floods and landslides in Udhampur district have been provided financial assistance," he said. In a written reply to a question by BJP member Balwant Singh Mankotia in the Assembly, the CM said the Council of Ministers took a decision, which was followed by a Government Order issued on January 2, 2026, approving the allotment of five marlas (1.60 acre) of State land to each landless family rendered homeless owing to floods, landslides, cloudbursts and earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the land would be provided on a lease basis for residential purposes without charging any premium. "The beneficiaries will be required to pay an annual ground rent of Rs.10 per marla for a period of 40 years, which can be extended further as per rules after approval by the competent authority," he said. A total of 6,449 affected families across Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar and Latti-Marothi tehsils were provided compensation as per prescribed norms.He said 2,666 affected families in Udhampur tehsil were sanctioned Rs.9.32 crore, approximately while 1,208 families in Chenani tehsil received more than Rs.5 crore. In Ramnagar tehsil, 2,298 affected families were sanctioned Rs.7.8635 crore, and 277 families in Latti-Marothi tehsil were provided more than Rs.1 crore as relief assistance. The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced various plans to construct or upgrade at-least four sports stadiums in a major boost to sports infrastructure and facilities in North Kashmir's Baramulla district. In response to a series of questions by MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Baig in J&K Assembly, the government said that there was a proposal for upgradation of Bipin Rawat stadium by installation of high mast flood lights which already has cricket stadium with state of the art seating facilities, Indoor stadium with badminton facilities and pavilion/change rooms with gender based washroom facilities. Proposal for The government stated that it also proposes to upgrade the recently constructed Football Stadium at Azad Gunj, Baramulla by way of developing seating arrangement, pavilion/change room with gender based washroom and installation of CCTVs camera for an amount of Rs. 170.64 lakh. "DPR is ready to take up the work in the upcoming budget," the response said....