Jammu, Sep 30: J&K BJP spokesperson and former Deputy Mayor of Jammu Purnima Sharma has criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government over notices being served to shopkeepers and commercial establishments in Jammu.
She questioned the timing of the action when the festive season was approaching and thousands of families depended directly or indirectly on small businesses.
Sharma said the government must adopt a human and solution-oriented approach instead of pushing shopkeepers towards uncertainty and loss of livelihood. “Recent reports have highlighted notices issued by Jammu Municipal Corporation to commercial establishments in residential colonies, with traders seeking clarity on documentation and the long-pending issue of change of land use (CLU).
The government cannot ignore the livelihood of ordinary shopkeepers,” she noted with concern.
Sharma said if there were deficiencies in permissions, building documents or other records, the government should give people a reasonable opportunity to rectify them instead of immediately threatening their businesses.
“The festive season is at the doorstep and this is the time to support traders, not create fear and uncertainty among them,” she said.
She also questioned the continued delay in Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, saying the absence of elected municipal representatives created a serious disconnect between citizens, traders and the administration.
“The elected municipal bodies completed their terms in October-November 2023 and Jammu Municipal Corporation has remained without elected representatives since November 2023. The government has said preparations for ULB elections are underway, but there is still no fixed election timeline,” former Deputy Mayor said.
Had elected municipal representatives been in place, these shopkeepers would have had a proper democratic platform to raise their grievances. Their documents could have been scrutinised, deficiencies pointed out and rectified before matters reached the stage of coercive action, she said.
Sharma further raised concern over the utilisation of CAPEX funds, alleging that the absence of elected local representatives was affecting grassroots planning, prioritisation and execution of municipal development works.
“Public money allocated for development should reach the ground. There is a genuine concern that if projects are not identified, approved and executed in time, valuable CAPEX allocations can remain unutilised or lapse at the end of the financial year. Jammu cannot afford to lose development funds because there are no elected municipal representatives to identify and pursue local priorities,” she said.
The J&K Budget 2026-27 provides for Rs 25,236 Cr in capital outlay, while the previous year’s revised capital-outlay estimate was below the original budget estimate, underlining the importance of timely utilisation.
Sharma demanded that the government should immediately review the notices, provide affected shopkeepers a transparent opportunity to rectify documents wherever legally permissible and announce a clear roadmap for ULB elections.
“People need elected representatives, not merely notices. The government must protect livelihoods, restore grassroots democracy and ensure that every rupee earmarked for Jammu’s development is utilised on the ground,” she said.
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