Decision likely soon
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 16: Even after two days since the appointment of new Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the allotment of portfolios to them is yet to be made as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has to take a call on the same.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu was in touch with the Union Home Ministry for early distribution of portfolios to his two Advisors K K Sharma and Farooq Khan, whose appointment was made on last Thursday.
The MHA is learnt to have received the proposal from the Lieutenant Governor and decision is likely to be taken very soon on the distribution of portfolios to the Advisors, sources added.
Under the provisions contained in Article 239A of the Indian Constituion, applicable to J&K Re-organizaton Act, the Lieutenant Governor of J&K can recommend to Union Home Ministry for allotment of portfolios to his Advisors for assisting him in effective discharge of duties.
Pertinent to mention that under the Re-organization Act 2019, which came into effect on October 31, 2019, the provisions contained in Article 239A of the Indian Constitution, which are applicable to the Union Territory of Puducherry, are applying to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Under these provisions of Article 239A, Union Home Ministry, in consultation with the Lieutenant Governor, issues order for distribution of portfolios to the Advisors, unlike the time of erstwhile State of J&K where the Governor was empowered to appoint his Advisors and allot them portfolios.
As already reported, former bureaucrat K K Sharma and retired IPS officer Farooq Khan were appointed as the Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu on last Thursday.
Both Sharma and Khan were among five Advisors to former Governor of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik. The other three Advisors were K Vijay Kumar, K Skandan and Khurshid Ahmed Ganai.
However, following bifurcation of State into two Union Territories, the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to appoint only two Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory.
K K Sharma, a 1983-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Mizoram Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, belongs to Billawar town of Kathua while Farooq Khan, prior to his appointment as Advisor to former Governor, was Administrator of Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
After his retirement from the services as Inspector General of Police, Farooq Khan had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and had been appointed as its national secretary before being designated as Administrator of the UT of Lakshadweep.
The allotment of portfolios to the Advisors is likely to further speed up administrative decisions for good governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
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