Back-to-back meetings in New Delhi
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 25: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs held two high-level meetings with top officials of Jammu and Kashmir during past two days and reviewed steps required for switching over of Jammu and Kashmir State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh on October 31 for which a Committee was on the job at the MHA and three separate Panels were working in the State here.
The first meeting that took place yesterday was chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla while the second one was held today under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Jammu and Kashmir Division) in MHA Gyanesh Kumar. Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam and Principal Secretary Planning Development and Monitoring Department Rohit Kansal, who also happens to be the official spokesperson of the State Government.
Sources told the Excelsior that the MHA has fast-paced the completion of all formalities including transfer of assets and liabilities, shifting of officers/officials from Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory to Ladakh and vice versa, creation of some new posts in the twin Union Territories, implementation of new Central laws and Rules and various other issues connected with J&K switching over to two UTs on October 31.
“The three Committees constituted by Jammu and Kashmir Government to work out mechanism and suggest ways and means on the issues that would crop up during switch over to the UTs were in the process of preparing their reports,” sources said, adding the MHA as well as the J&K Government were confident that all required formalities will be completed well before the deadline of October 31 set by the MHA for creation of the two Union Territories.
According to sources, implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act which was approved by the Parliament on August 6 for bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh was the major focus of the meeting which Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had with the J&K Chief Secretary and the Planning Secretary at the MHA yesterday.
The meeting was also attended by top officials of the MHA connected with implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act.
Another meeting was held today with Jammu and Kashmir officials with MHA Additional Secretary (Incharge J&K Division) Gyanesh Kumar which too discussed all the issues concerning the creation of two Union Territories.
“Allocation of employees and officers between the two Union Territories, division of assets and liabilities, posting of officers and officials from J&K to Ladakh and vice versa and various other issues were discussed in the meeting,” sources said.
The Lieutenant Governors of the two Union Territories will take oath on October 31, the day two UTs will come into effect. The Government will also have to appoint the Chief Secretary and other senior officials for Ladakh Union Territory.
“It will be a smooth transition from one State to two Union Territories for which all arrangements were in place and the MHA as well as the State Government proposed to complete all formalities well ahead of October 31 deadline for creation of the UTs,” sources said. They added that the MHA and J&K Government officials could hold couple of more meetings whenever required for giving final touch to the rules and guidelines governing the two Union Territories.
As per the Act, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other Central Service Officers of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre will continue to serve in the two successor UTs while new recruits of these services will be allocated the Arunachal Goa Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, the provincial service officers will continue serving in their current positions till a new order is issued by Lt Governors of the two new Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
The Jammu and Kashmir administration is tasked with three key concerns – the creation of a new financial structure for the two UTs, the Legislative restructuring and a massive development push.
The administration has already constituted three Committees to chart the necessary administrative steps and legal formalities in the run-up to October 31.
The Panels comprised a ‘committee for financial matters’ in the proposed UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, second for ‘devising the modalities for functioning’ and a third committee for ‘staff- related issues’.
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