Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on Monday, hurriedly held a meeting of his cabinet to discuss the queries raised by Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha on the proposed transaction of business rules drafted by the elected government for the day to day functioning of the administration.
The meeting was held soon after the civil secretariat reopened in Srinagar for the summer after moving from Jammu.
Tanvir Sadiq, MLA and chief spokesperson of the ruling National Conference, told media persons that the “LG hasn’t rejected the Business Rules but has raised queries regarding some sections”.
“The cabinet has prepared a reply to these queries and it shall be submitted to the Raj Bhavan,” he said.
Drafting of the Business Rules in the Union Territory (UT) was a necessity to define the powers of the elected government led by Omar Abdullah. J&K was earlier a full-fledged state but was split and reduced to the status of a UT in 2019 after abrogation of Article 370.
The Police and All India Service officers are under the control of the Lt. governor, but powers of the chief minister so far remain undefined.
The Omar Abdullah ministry had in March forwarded the draft Business Rules to the LG for clearance.
There were reports that the LG has raised queries and returned the draft rules that were contrary to the provisions of the J&K Reorganisation Act Section 53 that clearly states that the LG shall, in exercise of his functions, act in his discretion in matters related to All India Services and Anti Corruption Bureau, besides matters that fall outside the powers of legislative assembly or relate to exercise of any judicial functions. However, the draft rules wanted the powers of transferring IAS, IPS and other All India Services officers handed over to the cabinet as was the case when J&K was a state.
The Business Rules seek to clarify the powers of the LG and the CM to run the administration.