New Delhi: In a significant amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, India has increased the powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of anticipated elections in the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the changes, approved by President Droupadi Murmu on July 12, were proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The amendments grant the LG enhanced authority over key administrative functions including the transfers and postings of all-India service officers and the appointment of judicial officers. This move has been criticized as setting the stage for a chief minister who will have minimal power, effectively acting as a rubber stamp after the forthcoming elections.
Critics such as Omar Abdullah, Vice-President of the National Conference, have expressed concerns that these changes undermine the autonomy of the future elected government, suggesting that the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir will lack significant authority. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also questioned the central government’s commitment to restoring full statehood to the region, highlighting a discrepancy between promises and actions.