The sorry state of Sogam-Badipora bridge in Budgam is a poignant story of abject failure of governance under the ruling National Conference, misplaced priorities and the chronic indifference of the Omar Abdullah-led government towards the sufferings of common people in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite being in power for nearly a year, thousands of residents have been enduring daily hardships because this vital bridge, which was inaugurated with pomp and show in 2014 by J&K assembly speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, remains defunct for want of the most basic repair work for six long months. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 55 lakh and inaugurated in the run-up to the 2014 Assembly elections, the government had projected the bridge as a symbol of development under Omar Abdullah’s rule. But like so many other projects which are launched with an eye on electoral dividends, this too has been reduced to a monument of neglect. Heavy rains in March this year may have damaged the retaining wall of the bridge, but what has followed is even more pathetic — the government’s refusal to act and restore this lifeline. What should have been a matter of routine repair seems to have turned into a six-month-long ordeal. This is not an example of a pure administrative delay; it reflects the larger failures of Omar Abdullah’s tenure so far as Chief Minister. His government often appears more interested in slogans, speeches, and photo opportunities than in the gritty business of delivering good governance. Promise are made with much fanfare but never sustained once the elections are over. From crumbling roads to rising unemployment, bungling in competitive exams and allegations of corruption, the Union territory under his leadership is witnessing deficit in governance. The non-repair of this bridge has had ripple effects. Students are forced to take exhausting detours to reach schools and colleges. Farmers find it nearly impossible to transport their produce on time. Patients struggle to reach hospitals. Daily wage earners and traders lose valuable hours and income. The human cost of this indifference is immense, yet the government seems unmoved. Good governance demands accountability, urgency, and empathy—qualities glaringly absent in this case. Omar Abdullah and his ministers had ample opportunity to step in, issue directions, and ensure the bridge was restored. Instead, the silence from the power corridors illustrates how disconnected the government had become from the ground realities of Kashmir. The damaged Sogam-Badipora bridge is a metaphor for Omar Abdullah’s rule: big promises before elections, which collapse at the first sign of stress, and are ignored thereafter. If governance is keeping the lifelines of people intact, then this government has achieved a spectacular failure.