(Image source from: Facebook.com/HMOfficeIndia)
The Home Ministry has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, giving more powers to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha amid speculation that assembly elections will soon be held in the union territory. This effectively means that elected governments in the Union Territories have limited powers in important matters such as internal security, renditions, prosecutions and the appointment of prosecutors, including the Attorney General. “In order to exercise the powers of the Lieutenant Governor under this Act, no proposal requiring the prior approval of the Ministry of Finance in relation to Police, Security, AIS or ACB shall be approved or rejected unless submitted to the Lieutenant Governor by the Commissioner in This notice reads: “Secretary.” The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs will submit proposals for the appointment of the Attorney General and other legal staff to assist the Attorney General in litigation matters, to be submitted for approval to the Deputy Governor through the Secretary and Principal Director.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) amended Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act to give more power to the Lieutenant Governor.
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2024
The MHA notifies the amended Rules under Section 55 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 inserting new Sections giving more power to the LG. pic.twitter.com/3gbaSTssNp
Based on this communication, the proposal to issue or reject the law enforcement or protest order is submitted to the Deputy Governor by the Ministry of Justice through the Secretariat. The Ministry of Home Affairs has amended the Business Transactions Rules 2019 of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On July 5, sources told India Today that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Amarnath Yatra, which ends in 2019. Meanwhile, sources said, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held an important meeting with the BJP on August 19 and asked regional leaders to prepare for the elections. Sources privy to the developments have confirmed that assembly elections will be held soon in Jammu and Kashmir and changes in trade laws could be an indication of what lies ahead for the Union Territory in terms of governance model in the post-poll scenario. This is said to be another sign of the presence of the virus. Major political parties like the National Congress (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the Centre's move as an attempt to convert the elected government into a city council.
