Strike enters 17th day
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA Nov 23: The work remained suspended for the 17th consecutive day from November 1, in the District & Sessions Court Kathua including all other subordinate courts of the entire district Kathua and complete shutdown was observed by District Bar Association Kathua in support of J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu opposing withdrawing of registration powers from Judicial officers and assigning them to already overburdened revenue officers.
The members of the District Bar Association, Kathua led by its president Advocate, Ajat Shatru Sharma are also sitting continuously on a massive dharna in the premises of District & Sessions Court Kathua from the last 23 days. The members are protesting against the decision of J&K UT Government to transfer of registration powers to already over-burdened revenue officers.
Meanwhile, after the dharna, a delegation of members of District Bar Association, Kathua led by its president Advocate Ajat Shatru Sharma visited the recently opened Kathua PRO Office of Dr. Jitendra Singh Union Minister in PMO & the local MP from Udhampur-Kathua Parliamentary Constituency. The delegation submitted a memorandum addressed to Dr. Jitendra Singh through his PRO. The PRO assured the delegation to send the memorandum promptly to Dr. Jitendra Singh.
The Bar Association said there were two main demands mentioned in the memorandum. One is regarding the shifting of registration powers to the revenue officers instead of earlier Judicial Officers and the other demand is of granting domicile status to the residents of the Union Territory of J&K. Through this memorandum the Bar Association demanded the complete roll back of orders & notifications of transferring of powers of registration of documents to revenue officials instead of judicial officers, it added.
It said the District Bar Association Kathua and J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu including other sisters Bars of J&K have already welcomed and hailed the decision of revocation of Article 370 which was step taken in national interest. With the extension particular Central law ‘the Registration Act, 1908’ the internal arrangement of Registration powers lying with the Judicial officers should not be changed under the new Act. But the predecessor Governor, Satya Pal Malik has changed the internal arrangement by delegating powers of Registration of legal documents to revenue officers instead of judicial officers.
The Bar said the step was a wrong decision taken in routine manner which has wider consequences across the whole newly created Union Territory of J&K.
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