Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 29: The work remained suspended for the 22nd consecutive working day in the District & Session Court Kathua including all other subordinate courts of the district Kathua and complete shutdown was observed by District Bar Association, Kathua in support of J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu in protest against the withdrawing of registration powers from Judicial officers and giving them to already overburdened revenue officers today.
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 29 days.
While addressing the gathering Advocate Ajat Shatru Sharma said that the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu with the support of other sister Bar Associations is fighting for the public cause as general public is most likely to be affected by this hasty decision of diversion of registration powers by the Government. The adamant attitude of the J&K UT Government towards lawyers of Jammu province is provoking them to turn their protest violent. He warned the J&K UT Government headed by Lt. Governor, G. C. Murmu should be ready to face heat generated from the strong protest against the Lt. Governor Administration in the Jammu province on the wrong decision of the Government.
He said the agitation of lawyers has nothing to do with the issue of Article 370. The previous State Act and current Central Act related to registration are similar to each other and both acts gave power to State or UT Government to delegate it to any public officers which included Revenue officers, Judicial officers or any other Government officials or even separate & full time department can also be created. But instead of bringing any reform or transparency in Revenue Department the UT, Government gave them additional charge of registration of documents. These revenue officers are already over-burdened with previous assigned duties like law & order, administration, functioning of Government machinery related to development works, VIP protocol, presiding in Revenue Courts etc, he added.
He said it is very strange that even after the support given by State president of BJP, Ravinder Raina to the ongoing lawyers agitation of Jammu province, national leadership of the party is not taking seriously their own State president. The two popular members of Parliament from Jammu province Dr. Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore also failed to resolve the matter and to project the grievances of lawyers of Jammu province to Home Minister, Amit Shah as Ministry of Home Affairs is sole responsible for any decisions related to union territories and Lt. Governor has to execute the same, he added.
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