‘Had it been my minister…’: Omar speaks out about BJP MLA ‘interfering’ in hydroelectric project

Last week, a top official of Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) alleged interference by local BJP MLA Shagun Parihar, warning that continued disruptions could force the company to pull out of the project in Kishtwar district.

Harpal Singh, chief operating officer of MEIL and the person in charge of the Ratle Hydel Power Project, said that the project — slated for completion by September 2026 at a cost of Rs 3,700 crore — is now delayed by two years. Parihar dismissed the allegations as “irresponsible” and “irrelevant”, alleging they were meant to malign a woman MLA and hide the company’s “incompetence”.

Speaking on Monday, Omar said the project is of national importance, and nobody should be allowed to interfere. “I know, and you know that if this accusation had been against any of my ministers, by now the ACB (anti-corruption bureau) would have already raided him. These projects are not only for Jammu and Kashmir but for the entire India… The agencies should look into it,” he said.

Omar said that while the allegation has emerged only against Parihar, the other BJP MLA from Kishtwar, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, also interferes in every project.

Meanwhile, a day after a standoff between National Conference’s Chadoora legislator Ali Mohammad Mir and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) during a demolition drive, Omar urged the bureaucracy to respect elected legislators.

“This is a local issue between a local MLA and the local administration, and we will reach a solution. But the administration should also keep in mind that the elected representatives don’t fall from the sky. The people send him, and they (the administration) should behave with them politely.”

Responding to a question on the NIA filing a chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack, Omar said, “The NIA has done the investigation, the chargesheet is being filed, and the decision will be given by the court. I have been saying that the decision should be left for the courts. This is not my job or your job. When the (government) employees were terminated, I would say let the court decide who is a criminal and who is innocent.”