As tensions escalate between the Raj Bhawan and the Jammu and Kashmir government, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday defended his decision to transfer 48 officers, emphasising that his authority stems directly from the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019.
In an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol, Sinha said that he has not taken any decision that is outside of law.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act has been passed by the Parliament in 2019 and I am saying with great responsibility that I have not done anything by going outside that act,” Sinha told Brajesh Kumar Singh, Group Editor-Convergence, Network18 during Moneycontrol Hindi's podcast 'Samvad'.
“I am well within my domain and I will never do anything by going outside it. I am aware of my limits and will never violate them,” the LG said.
In a move widely interpreted as an effort to assert greater control over the bureaucracy, LG Sinha ordered the transfer of 48 middle and lower-tier Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers, including 14 additional deputy commissioners and 26 sub-divisional magistrates.
The General Administration Department (GAD) issued the order on Tuesday, even as the National Conference-led government awaited clearance from the Union home ministry on business rules it had framed and submitted to the LG nearly a month ago, aimed at ensuring smoother governance.
During the interaction, Sinha also shared his expectations from the Omar Abdullah-led government. “It is the strong desire of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Jammu and Kashmir should become a developed UT and there should be no shortage of facilities compared to other states of the country. It will take some time but I think that goal will be achieved. I expect the same from the elected government too,” he said.
On Friday, the National Conference held a nearly two-hour-long legislative party meeting with its alliance partners. Two resolutions were passed in the meeting, one of which sought respecting the mandate of the people – a subtle indication of the mounting friction between the Raj Bhavan and the six-month-old administration in the Union Territory, according to a PTI report.
Given that Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory since 2019, there is power sharing arrangement in place between the elected government and the LG, nominated by the Centre. While the LG has the powers to transfer IAS officers, the power of postings and transfers in respect of the JKAS officers rest with the elected government.
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