SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has sent back a file concerning the proposed Jammu & Kashmir Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), which was forwarded by the Omar Abdullah-led administration in early March. The LG has sought clarification on whether the appropriate legal and procedural steps were adhered to while framing the new rules.
Government insiders revealed that the file, initially cleared by the J&K Cabinet and then forwarded to Raj Bhavan for approval, was returned just days ago—almost two months after its submission.
The proposed set of business rules, aimed at defining the working framework of the Union Territory’s secretariat and other administrative departments, had been prepared by a committee led by eminent legal expert Rohinton Nariman.
However, a senior government official stated that the draft was flagged by the LG’s office for being inconsistent with provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. One major point of contention was a clause that proposed all administrative appointments and reshuffles—including those involving IAS officers—must receive the consent of the J&K Cabinet.
This proposal contradicts Section 53 of the Reorganisation Act, which empowers the LG to act independently in areas related to All India Services, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and matters outside the jurisdiction of the legislative assembly or those involving judicial discretion.
“Some of the clauses in the draft suggest a return to a state-level authority, despite the absence of actual statehood. The draft seems to overreach by interpreting central legislation beyond its explicit language,” said a senior official familiar with the review process.
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Omar Abdullah-led government has previously voiced concerns over key bureaucratic posts being dominated by IAS officers, displacing officials from the Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS). In what appeared to be a move to reassert administrative control, the UT government issued transfer orders for 96 JKAS officers on April 29.
