Omar Abdullah Urges Ladakh to Secure Written Assurances Amidst Statehood Uncertainty

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah advised Ladakh to secure written commitments from the Centre on statehood and other demands, citing unmet verbal assurances. He criticized lingering delays in Jammu and Kashmir's statehood restoration, following delimitation and elections. Abdullah also addressed concerns over UPI transaction charges, asserting these costs should not be passed to customers.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged the leadership in Ladakh to obtain written assurances from the central government regarding their demands, amid concerns over the pending restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah noted that despite previous verbal commitments promising a sequence of delimitation, elections, and restoration of statehood, the final step remains elusive.

Addressing the media, Abdullah highlighted that assurances regarding statehood restoration were given verbally in prominent platforms like Parliament and the Supreme Court, but never documented. He emphasized the importance of securing such commitments in writing, advising Ladakh, which is currently in negotiation with the Centre, to not rely solely on verbal promises.

On a different note, Abdullah clarified the stance on the UPI Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) transaction charges, explaining that these charges will not affect customers directly. He specified that businesses facilitating the transactions would need to absorb the costs and such expenses cannot be transferred to customers. He added that person-to-person money transfers via UPI would remain untaxed.

In response to concerns about transactions under the new UPI MDR framework, Abdullah pointed out that there are no charges for transactions under Rs 2,000, a major segment of business activities. He noted that for transactions exceeding this amount, a cap is in place, and larger enterprises should bear this cost without issue. These remarks arise amid a political debate following the NPCI's announcement of a new UPI MDR policy slated to begin in October 2026.