Srinagar, April 16 -- Omar made a striking comparison between being the CM of a state and that of a union territory: when he served as chief minister of a state, officials would respond to instructions with ideas and solutions. Now, under the UT setup, those same officials respond with excuses.

However, the CM stressed that the reinstatement of statehood was just the starting point for reclaiming what the people of Jammu and Kashmir lost in 2019. In his own words, he termed the statehood "a prerequisite to start the process of reclaiming what the people have lost in the last six to seven years."

Striking a chord with people, the chief minister promised reserving jobs for locals to ensuring ownership over natural resources, saying if the...