Srinagar, August 21(KNS): Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary criticised the tabled bills in Parliament that, he said, prioritises punishing political leaders through enforcement agencies rather than addressing the core demands of J&K, including the restoration of its statehood.

“Instead of healing, we’re being pulled back towards colonial-style governance,” he said, referring to the three bills introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah aimed at removing elected officials arrested and held in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges

Choudhary also called on Parliament to act in the true spirit of democracy, stating that the House is a symbol of national sacrifice. “Whatever comes from Parliament should unite the nation, create jobs, and secure the future. Not divide us,” he said.

He has slammed the delay in completion of the Sanatnagar flyover, calling out the contractor and seeking accountability from officials. During a site inspection, Choudhary expressed concern over the slow pace of work, which was originally slated for completion in 2024 but remains incomplete.

He said the project, sanctioned at Rs 29 crore, has already seen a payment of Rs 23 crore to the contractor despite significant delays. “Only Rs7 crore remains to be paid, yet such a large portion of the work is still pending.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelI’ve asked for an inquiry into how these payments were made,” Choudhary said. He added that a thorough assessment would be carried out to evaluate how much work has actually been completed, and penalties would be imposed for missing the deadline.

The Deputy CM has given the contractor a final deadline of November 15 to complete the bridge, warning that failure to meet it would result in blacklisting. “This isn’t the contractor’s personal project. It’s a public work, and the department will make sure it’s completed properly,” he said.

Choudhary also addressed reports of structural damage to the flyover, confirming that a formal inquiry was underway.

Turning to national politics, the Deputy CM voiced public disappointment over the delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. He said people across India and the diaspora were hopeful that the Prime Minister would make a major announcement on August 15 regarding the return of full statehood to J&K. “But we missed that date too,” he said, adding that recent developments in Parliament were seen as political theatre rather than substantive change.(KNS).