National Conference working president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir had been left in lurch by a “brazenly nepotistic and anti-youth” PDP-BJP coalition government in the state.

Addressing a one-day Youth National Conference Provincial Body meet at Srinagar, Omar said hard-working, meritorious and qualified youth of the state were being pushed against the wall because of open political patronage to nepotism and an unprecedented chaos in recruitment, competitive examinations and at service commissions.

He expressed dismay at the continuation of SRO-202 while the kith and kin of leaders of the ruling alliance were being directly accommodated into gazetted jobs through the back door.

“We have highly qualified, talented youth who have given their sweat and blood to be equipped with great academic credentials but this government seems hell-bent to alienate them after robbing them of their merit and rights”, the NC chief said.

Omar said the deteriorating law and order situation and the instability in the state in the past three years had a direct bearing on the future of the youth.

“It is the youth that suffers the most due to the Government’s inability to preserve and nurture peace and stability. It affects their studies, robs them of employment opportunities and creates a sense of hopelessness that is dangerous considering the scenario in the state. The biggest injustices with the youth are being perpetuated while the government has precious little to offer apart from rhetoric and photo opportunities”, he said.

He said rising unemployment in the state is a matter of grave concern and a telling indictment of the failed policies of the present government. “Our unemployment numbers are rising and could well have crossed a million unemployed skilled and unskilled young men if an objective analysis is undertaken. With complete collapse of the tourism sector and zero headway in encouraging a private sector growth, diminishing jobs in the Public sector have created an alarming situation. Even those limited jobs in the public sector seem to be reserved for the kith and kin of the ruling alliance leaders”,Omar said. He asked the party’s youth wing to reach out to the youth.