Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Transaction of Business Rules of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government by expanding the administrative powers of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, granting LG greater authority over issues related to police, public order, and the All India Services (AIS), including their transfers and postings, which previously required the Finance Department's approval.
Under the new rules, proposals for transferring administrative secretaries and officers from the All India Services (AIS) must be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of J&K by the General Administration Department's administrative secretary, through the Chief Secretary.
Moreover, any proposals that need the Finance Department's approval, especially concerning police, public order, AIS, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, must be presented to the LG via the Chief Secretary before a decision is made.
“No proposal which requires previous concurrence of the Finance Department with regard to ‘Police’ ‘Public Order’, ‘All India Service’ and ‘Anti -Corruption Bureau’ to exercise the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor under the Act shall be concurred or rejected unless it has been placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary,” reads the amendment.
The rules also state that the Department of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs must submit proposals for appointing the Advocate-General and other law officers to the LG through the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister.
Furthermore, any decisions about prosecution sanctions or appeals must go to the LG through the Chief Secretary. Proposals related to prisons, the Directorate of Prosecution, and the Forensic Science Laboratory also need to be submitted to the LG through the same process.