Centre hands more powers to J&K LG

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Ministry has amended the rules of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 and given more powers to the Lieutenant Governor in the matters of internal security, use of postings and transfers, prosecution and appointment of government lawyers.

- Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

The move drew criticism from the Opposition which claimed that the move would “disempower” the people of the state.

The Centre on Friday issued a notification amending the “Transaction of Business Rules” under the Act.' It said, in the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of J&K Rules, 2019, “no proposal which requires previous concurrence of the Finance Department with regard to police, public order, All India Service and AntiCorruption Bureau to exercise the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor under the Act shall be concurred or rejected unless it has been placed before the L-G through the Chief Secretary.”

It gave additional powers to the L-G in matters of making appointments, stating, “the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs will submit the proposal for the appointment of an Advocate-General and other law officers to assist the AdvocateGeneral in the court proceedings, for getting approval from the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister.”