Omar Abdullah's austerity order is a death certificate for Jammu Kashmir's youth employment dreams: Arun Prabhat

• Arun Prabhat Condemned Anti Youth Government Order No. 198-F of 2026 Demands Immediate rollback

JAMMU: Arun Prabhat, State President, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Jammu Kashmir, today held a strong-worded press conference at the BJP Party Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, slamming the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government for what he described as a blatant betrayal of the future of Jammu & Kashmir's youth through the recently issued Government Order No. 198- F of 2026 by the Finance Department, which freezes the creation of new government posts and mandates the surrender of all posts lying vacant for over two years.

“The Omar Abdullah government came to power on the promise of one lakh jobs for youth described in its election manifesto. Instead of fulfilling that solemn commitment, this government has now slammed the door shut on employment through a government order that freezes government posts and surrenders vacancies. This is not fiscal prudence — this is a deliberate stab in the back of every qualified, aspiring young person of this Union Territory” he added.

Prabhat recalled Omar Abdullah-led National Conference that they have prominently promised one lakh jobs in its election manifesto — a promise that brought thousands of hopeful youth to the polling booths. National Conference led government's latest circular directing all government departments to execute “economy and austerity measures for the rationalisation of expenditure” not only freezes new recruitment but also orders the surrender of posts that have remained vacant for more than two years. Prabhat called this a direct contradiction of the government’s electoral pledges and a mockery of the aspirations of J&K’s educated unemployed youth. Moreover Omar Abdullah's own government's Economic Survey 2025-26 reveals that nearly 46% of educated youth in Jammu Kashmir remain unemployed indicating persistent structural gaps.

During his concluding remarks he said, "The austerity order is an anti-youth policy that crushes employment hopes at a time when unemployment in J&K has already reached a critical level. Rather than cutting the perks and unnecessary spending of the ruling elite and senior bureaucracy, the financial burden of austerity has been callously shifted onto the shoulders of unemployed youth. The government must immediately withdraw the Austerity Order and issue a clear roadmap for filling all existing vacancies on a time-bound basis or be ready for a mass agitation across Jammu Kashmir. Others who were present on the occasion were; Vice Presidents,Abhishek Salathia, Luvdeval Sharma, and Priyanka Mahajan; General Secretaries Ranjit Singh; State Secretary: Sagar Kotwal; Spokesperson, Abineesh Khajuria, Media Secretary, Abhiudit Kaushal, District Presidents, Dheeraj Bharti and Vatsal Bhan, many others.