Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani announced an upcoming cabinet expansion in Jammu and Kashmir. He addressed development challenges under financial constraints, the preservation of heritage, and the promotion of tourism at the Jashn-e-Manasbal festival.
Cabinet Expansion and Development in J&K
Jammu and Kashmir is likely to witness a cabinet expansion and reshuffle within the next two to three days, with the names of ministers already finalised, Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Nasir Aslam Wani, said on Saturday. He also stressed that the government is working to balance development with heritage preservation and address financial constraints.
Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth edition of Jashn-e-Manasbal, Wani said the Chief Minister had not disclosed the names of the ministers. On the issue of traffic congestion and the proposed removal of Chinar trees in Ganderbal, Wani said the government would carefully weigh the need for public convenience and emergency services while taking decisions on development and heritage conservation. "It is a fact that if a patient fails to reach the hospital in time, their life could be at risk. We will carefully weigh all these factors and take whatever steps are appropriate under the circumstances," he said.
Financial Challenges and Regional Growth
Addressing concerns over development in the region, Wani said the government was working within financial constraints and that projects were being undertaken across constituencies despite limited resources. "Things will happen gradually; you must understand that we have to consider our available resources. Previously, it was a State, and our funding pattern was different—we had more flexibility in how we operated. Today, as a Union Territory (UT), there are significant restrictions. You cannot even imagine the challenges we are navigating. If you were to sit down with the officials and look at the details, you would realise how difficult it is," he said. "Our constant effort—as the Chief Minister is also doing—is to manage things; only we know how we have steered through the last two budget cycles. We face financial difficulties every single day," Wani added.
He, however, said that despite the constraints, development works worth Rs 20-30 crore were either underway or had been completed in almost every constituency. "Yet, even with these resource constraints, if you look today, there isn't a single constituency where projects worth 20–30 crore rupees are not either currently underway or already completed. Furthermore, there is no constituency where new projects worth crores have not been initiated. MLAs also have a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of 4 crore rupees, and those projects are also being executed," he said. "We are doing our best, and rest assured, things will continue to improve. Wherever there is a need or a demand for development, we will certainly strive to address it," he added.
Tourism Potential and Cultural Preservation
On the development of Manasbal as a tourist destination, Wani rejected suggestions that the area had been neglected, recalling the efforts made during the previous administration when he served as Tourism Minister under Omar Abdullah. "Look, it is not a matter of neglect—that is not the case at all. You are absolutely right; in fact, I made a concerted effort during the previous administration—when I served as the Tourism Minister under Omar Abdullah—to develop Manasbal into a full-fledged tourist destination. Achieving that requires a great deal of work; the government cannot do it alone. If you look behind us, you can see the infrastructure that the Chief Minister had developed here," he said.
He listed the infrastructure created by the government, including a guesthouse, a club, an amphitheatre, walkways, designated space for a cafeteria and upgraded gardens. "A guesthouse, a club, various facilities, and an amphitheatre were constructed. Walkways were laid out, space for a cafeteria was designated, and the gardens were upgraded—all of this was done by the government. Subsequently, there was a need for the private sector to step in. However, no hotels, facilities, or resorts have been established here yet. We will continue our efforts to promote this destination so that we can attract investment," Wani said.
He said Manasbal had the potential to be developed into a major resort and urged stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism sectors to invest in the area. "We can truly develop this into an excellent resort. We are making efforts, but through your platform, I would also like to urge those in the hospitality and tourism sector to come forward, expand their footprint here, and invest in this location," he said. Wani also ruled out any immediate plan to relocate residents of Kundal near Manasbal Lake, saying efforts were underway to improve their living conditions and develop the settlement as a model tourist village while protecting the lake. He stressed that Manasbal required greater preservation efforts rather than extensive dredging, while calling for private investment in hotels and tourism infrastructure to improve the area's tourism potential.
Supporting Local Artists and Heritage
Earlier, addressing the fifth edition of Jashn-e-Manasbal, Wani underlined the importance of preserving Kashmir's cultural heritage and supporting local artists, writers, dramatists and singers. He said the festival had been organised by the Manasbal Development Authority and the Manasbal Dramatic Club, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and the Department of Information. "This is the fifth edition of the Manasbal Festival. It has been organised by the Manasbal Development Authority and the Manasbal Dramatic Club, in collaboration with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and the Department of Information. It is a matter of great joy that this event is taking place in Chiman Sahab’s constituency. It is our duty to nurture the talents of our writers, dramatists, singers, and artists, and to preserve these traditions for future generations—that is our endeavour," he said.
Wani said local artists had been provided a platform to perform during the festival, while senior artists who had dedicated their lives to their craft were felicitated. "As you witnessed today, local artists were given the opportunity to perform, and senior artists—who have dedicated their lives to this craft—were felicitated. We intend to continue this initiative," he said. He further said the Academy would extend assistance to artists who were no longer able to perform and to families of artists facing financial hardship. "Furthermore, as the Secretary of the Academy mentioned today, the Academy will provide support to artists who are no longer able to perform, or to the families of artists who may be facing financial hardship," he said.
"We have urged everyone present today to bring to the Academy's attention any such artists who are in need of assistance. As the Secretary stated, if you inform the Academy, we will certainly provide the necessary help. In every way possible, we will continue to safeguard and promote our culture and our art," Wani added.
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